The Revenge of the Dark Doctor
by cheri1
Summary: 10 and Rose with Martha. Sequel to Doppleganger. It's been six months since the Doctor defeated his evil double. Now the alternate Doctor's escaped and looking to get his revenge on his twin. FINISHED
1. Prologue

Prologue

"Stand up against the wall!"

The sentry opened the door as the prisoner stood up against the back wall of his glass prison. He sat a metal tray of food down on a nearby table and turned to leave.

"Wait."

The sentry swung around with his hand on the butt of his blaster when he noticed the prisoner coming forward.

"Stay up against the wall until I leave." He said. "You get one warning and then I shoot."

"But, I have a message I want you to take to Councilor Garvis. I wish to speak with him and the other councilors concerning my prison sentence."

"Yeah, what about your prison sentence?" the sentry asked warily.

The alternate Doctor smiled at him.

"I want to be moved to minimum security. You see, I've been sitting in here thinking about what my double said to me and I've decided I want to change my evil ways."

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Garvis stared at the sentry in disbelief as he sat behind the desk in his office.

"He says he wants to change his evil ways? The man who has murdered untold numbers of innocent people all across the universe wants to reform?"

"That is what he said, councilor. He requests a meeting with you and the other councilors as soon as possible."

Garvis raised an eyebrow.

"The man seriously thinks he can convince the council to move him to minimum security after all he's done." He said. "He's even crazier than I thought."

"I'm only telling you what he said, Councilor." The sentry said shrugging.

Garvis put his fingertips together as he leaned back in his chair and thought the matter over.

"Very well, out of sheer curiosity, I will grant a hearing to the Doctor." He said. "But I seriously doubt that anything the man has to say will change my mind or the minds of my colleagues. I will inform the others of the Doctor's request and ask for a special hearing. In the meantime, I want you to round up several more sentries and make sure that the Doctor is restrained properly while he is being transported to the council chambers. If this is an escape attempt, I want all of you to be ready."

"Yes, Councilor." The sentry said saluting.

Garvis nodded. He sighed as the sentry left the room and closed the door behind him.

"What are you up to now, Doctor?" he muttered to himself.

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Garvis and his two colleagues looked up as the chamber door opened and the Doctor walked in surrounded on all sides by armed sentries.

"Ah, Counselor Garvis, it's been awhile." The Doctor said cheerfully. "You never come see me. That just wounds me deeply that you won't visit your old friend in his cell."

Garvis sighed angrily.

"Sit down in the chair, Doctor, or go back to your cell." He said. "I gave you the courtesy of a hearing, so I suggest you cut out the jokes and get to the point before I have you sent back."

The Doctor sat down and watched as the sentries tied him down with leather restraints. Once they were finished, they stepped back and took up positions all around the room. The Doctor looked down at the restraints and then looked at the councilors.

"Now really, councilor is all this necessary?" he said to him. "After all, I'm trying to turn over a new leaf. Why restrain me?"

"Because frankly I don't trust you or your motives, Doctor." Garvis said. "I don't believe for one moment that you want to change. I think this is a pathetic attempt at escape, so if it is, rest assured it will not succeed."

"Escape? No, I want to take my double's advice and reform myself. I want to take the merciful gift he gave to me and make the most of it. I want to better myself and I have made steps towards that already, so I request I be moved to minimum security." He said smiling.

Garvis smirked.

"Request denied, Doctor."

The smile fell off his face.

"Why? Why is my request denied? I have been a model prisoner. Not once in the six months I've been here have I tried to make any kind of escape attempt. Don't you believe that I want to change my ways?"

"No, I do not, Doctor!" Garvis said. "I believe your so-called model behavior is merely you biding your time until you can find the right opportunity to make an escape attempt and go back to your double's universe!"

"How am I gonna get back when my double took my void crossing device with him?" the Doctor protested. "How am I gonna fight back? He disabled my eye and it was taken from me when I was imprisoned. I don't have it or my blaster----"

"But you still have your mind, Doctor!" Garvis roared leaping to his feet. "I concede for all that you are and all the twisted, evil things you have done, you do have one of most brilliant minds of any Time Lord I've ever known. You are a threat to Gallifrey and the universe, both this one and your double's. That is why you languish in maximum security and that is why you will stay there until you finally run out of lives and leave your miserable, pathetic existence! I will honor your double's request to spare your life, but I do not have to set you free or move you somewhere where you will not be watched. You are a menace to society and there is no way I will take the chance of allowing you to escape. Request is denied! Now go back to your cell and stay there and do not bother the high council with your idiotic games again!"

The Doctor glared at him.

"You will pay for this Garvis." He said. "I will make you rue the day you ever decided to cross me."

"Take him away now," Garvis said to the guards. "Before I change my mind and put him in the disintegration chamber."

The guards moved forward. Two of them loosened his restraints while the others kept their blasters aimed at him. The Doctor glared at the councilors as he stood and let the guards surround him.

"This isn't the last you've heard of me." He said to Garvis. "You may think you can stick me in a cell and leave me there to rot away, but rest assured we will see each other again and the next time will be the last time…for you."

"Get him out of my sight!" Garvis roared.

One of the guards poked him in the back with his blaster. The Doctor glared at Garvis one more time before turning and walking out the door.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

(The Doctor's universe…)

Rose and Martha sat on Rose's bed laughing and talking. In the last six months, the two of them had grown close and they both loved to spend time together. Even though Martha was a few years older than Rose, she found that the younger girl had wisdom far beyond her years. She guessed a lot of that came from traveling with the Doctor, but she sensed some of it was innate as well.

That was where they were when the Doctor opened the door and stuck his head in.

"How are my two favorite girls doing this afternoon?" he asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

Rose and Martha smiled at him.

"We're just fine, thanks." Martha replied.

"Yup, we're just sitting in here talking about girl stuff."

The Doctor made snoring sounds.

"What, you know something better to do?" Rose asked.

"Indeed I do and if you go to the console room, you'll find the something better to do all ready for ya!" the Doctor replied.

Rose and Martha looked at each other. Grinning, they got off of Rose's bed and went past the Doctor towards the console room.

"Oh yes, I wonder where we've landed now?" Rose asked.

"I hope it's somewhere good." Martha said running alongside her. "I hated those slime monsters we just fought. So icky!"

"Yeah, tell me about it. I think I showered for three hours straight after that!"

They ran into the console room and stopped. They looked around at the walls. There were paper cut-outs of palm trees and pineapples on the walls and the console had a grass skirt around the edge. They looked over and noticed the Doctor had put a wooden table just beside the door.

"What is this?" Martha asked.

They looked back at the Doctor as he slipped a pink lei around Rose's neck and a purple lei around Martha.

"This, my loyal and overworked companions who definitely need a rest, is the first annual Hawaii day in the TARDIS."

He walked past them into the room and Rose saw he was wearing a yellow lei and a grass skirt.

"Aloha!" the Doctor said spreading his arms out. "Welcome to the TARDIS luau!"

He walked over to the captain's chair, reached under it and brought out a boom box. He switched it on and Hawaiian music filled the air.

"Hawaiian moods." He said showing them the CD. "Got it for two pounds at a shop several years ago. Been looking for a reason to play it and now I have one."

He laid the CD down beside the boom box and walked back towards Rose and Martha.

"Excuse me ladies." He said walking past them. "I will return with refreshment in a moment, until then enjoy the music."

Rose and Martha looked at each other.

"Hawaii day? Only he would think of that." She said hooking her thumb back at the door.

Rose grinned.

"Yeah, but ya gotta admit, he looks cute in a grass skirt."

They giggled.

"What's the giggling about?" the Doctor said walking past with an enormous punch bowl in his hands.

"You and your grass skirt." Martha said.

They giggled when the Doctor shot them a look.

"I'll have you know this is authentic. Got it from a hula dancer about two hundred years ago." He said setting the punch bowl on the table.

"Yeah, definitely smells like its two hundred years old." Rose said.

"Oi!" he said as she and Martha giggled.

He grinned and winked at them as he stepped out of the room. He returned a moment later carrying a metal tray with cups on it.

"Help yourself ladies." He said indicating the ladle in the punchbowl.

"Do you need help carrying stuff in?" Rose asked.

"No, I'm fine, just go ahead and have a drink." The Doctor said breezing past them.

Rose and Martha walked over and spooned some of the red punch into the cups. They stood by the table and sipped it.

"Mmm, this is good, wonder what it is?" Martha asked.

"Hawaiian Punch, of course." The Doctor said as he carried a large wooden bowl in and set it on the table.

He walked back out of the room as Rose and Martha looked at the contents of the bowl.

"What the hell is this?" Martha asked as she stared at the pinkish grey pudding-like substance in the bowl.

"You got me. It looks like something he found on some planet somewhere." Rose replied.

Martha made a face.

"He expects us to eat this?" she said indicating the bowl.

"Yes," the Doctor said coming into the room with a tray of sliced pineapple. "I slaved for hours over that poi and I expect you to eat it."

"Poi? Is that what this crap is?" Martha asked.

"Yup," the Doctor said setting the tray on the table beside the bowl. "Eat up."

He breezed back out the door.

Martha looked at Rose.

"You first, Rose." She said.

"No, that's okay; you can have a go at it." Rose replied.

Martha stared at the glop in the bowl.

"How about we both go at the same time?" she asked Rose.

Rose shrugged.

"Fine with me." She said.

They both stuck their index fingers in the bowl and lifted them out. They brought the poi-covered finger to their mouth.

"Ready?" Martha asked.

"Ready."

"Go!"

Both of them shoved their fingers in their mouths, tasted the poi and made a face.

"Oh God, this is gross." Martha said backing away from the bowl.

Rose grimaced.

"That's all I'm gonna eat of that." She said grabbing her cup of punch and taking a huge swig.

"Good idea." Martha said taking a swig out of her own cup.

The Doctor returned carrying a tray of sliced ham in one hand and paper plates and plastic forks and spoons in the other. He paused and looked at the uneaten food.

"Eat." He said setting everything down. "You don't have to wait on me."

"We just tried that poi." Martha said pointing to the bowl.

"Oh, you did? How is it?"

Martha and Rose made faces.

"Oh, come on, it can't be that bad!" the Doctor said. "This is a delicacy in Hawaii."

"Have you ever eaten it?" Martha challenged.

"Well, no…"

"Eat it!" Rose and Martha said in unison.

The Doctor stared at the poi for a moment. He dipped his finger in and tasted it. He made a face and stuck his tongue out as Rose and Martha nodded.

"Okay," he said grabbing the bowl of poi. "You don't have to eat this, but eat the rest; I made it especially for ya."

He carried the bowl away as Rose and Martha grabbed a plate and a fork and put the ham and pineapple on the plate.

"Mmmm, now this is more like it." Rose said swallowing the ham.

Martha nodded.

"Pineapple's good too." She said. "I wonder what made him decide to do this."

Rose smiled.

"Oh, we always did stuff like this in the past. I'd just wake up one day and he'd have this crazy little party put together just for the two of us. I loved it."

She looked at Martha.

"Why, didn't he do this with you?"

Martha shook her head.

"Most of the time he wasn't in the mood for silly things like this." She said. "I was lucky if could get him to smile or laugh. This is totally new to me."

Rose sighed.

"I'm sorry, Martha, it must have been Hell traveling with the Doctor when he was missing me." She said.

"Yeah, it was pretty rough at times. That's why I'm glad we got you back. He's a lot more fun to be around now."

"What are you talking about; I'm always fun to be around. It's a party 24/7 with little ole me." The Doctor said walking back into the room.

He stopped and smiled when he noticed Rose and Martha eating the food.

"Good?" he asked them.

"Very good." Rose said as Martha nodded.

His grin was a mile wide.

"Good!" he said happily.

He kissed Rose and Martha on the cheek.

"And now, "he said stepping back. "We will now commence the entertainment portion of our party. I give you the hula!"

Rose and Martha paused in mid-chew as the Doctor raised his arms and began to hula dance. Rose nearly choked on her ham and Martha turned away as they watched his God-awful dance moves. The Doctor for his part seemed totally oblivious to their snickers and pointed looks at each other as he did what he thought was a graceful interpretation of the hula.

"Learned this from the same hula dancer who gave me my skirt." He said swaying back and forth. "I was a big hit at the luau that night."

"Yeah, I bet," Rose whispered to Martha. "They were probably all laughing their arses off at his crappy dancing."

Martha choked on her punch.

He finished up and took a bow as Rose and Martha whistled and cheered.

"Thank you!" he said. "And now for the second part of my program I will serenade you with ukulele music."

"Oh, Jesus, I'm not gonna be able to keep a straight face through this one." Martha whispered to Rose.

The Doctor reached into the doorway and brought out a tiny ukulele. He walked over to them and plucked the strings, testing them as Rose and Martha quickly took a swig of punch to hide their grins.

He cleared his throat as Rose and Martha glanced at each other.

"Mi, mi, mi, mi!" he sang.

He cleared his throat again and plucked the strings a couple of times. He paused with his hand over the strings and then to Rose and Martha's shock, he began to strum the ukulele as fast as he could. As the God-awful twang filled the TARDIS, he raised his head and began to scream.

COME ON FEEL THE NOIZE!

GIRLS, ROCK YOUR BOYZ!

WE'LL GET WILD, WILD, WILD!

WILD, WILD, WILD!

He stopped playing and grinned at Rose and Martha who were now bent over the table roaring with laughter. His eyes twinkled as he sat the ukulele down on the edge of the table and put his hands on their backs.

"Oh Christ, my sides hurt now!" Rose said leaning up. "I thought you were being completely serious!"

"Yeah, I wasn't expecting that." Martha added.

"I gotta ask though. The whole hula dance. That was a joke too, right?"

The Doctor frowned.

"No, that wasn't a joke." He said confused. "Why would you think it was a joke?"

Rose and Martha giggled. Rose put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a kiss.

"Just a little piece of advice, my darling, in the future if you're thinking of showing your hula dance to anyone other than me and Martha, I'd advise against it."

She and Martha giggled insanely as the Doctor eyed them.

"Fine, if you can't appreciate good dancing, I'll refrain in future." He said sniffing.

He grinned when Rose and Martha rolled their eyes and giggled. He swept them both up in a hug and held them tightly smiling as the love of his life and his best friend hugged him back. He thanked Rassilon every day that Rose was returned to him even if the method of return was unconventional. He briefly thought of his alternate self and gave a little shiver. He hoped his double would be safely locked away for the rest of his lives. He hated to think what would happen if he ever got out.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

(The Alternate Universe…)

"Fools," the Doctor muttered as he sat in his cell. "They can't keep me in here forever. I will escape and then I will have my revenge on my do-gooder double."

He glanced over and looked at the food the sentry had set by the door. He smirked when he saw the metal tray underneath it.

"And I think I know just how to do it." He said to himself.

He stood up.

"This whole display is unfitting for a noble Time Lord such as myself but I'll do anything at this point to get out of here." He said walking over to the tray.

He grabbed it and as the dishes crashed to the floor, he took it and slammed it repeatedly on the cell door as he screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Oi!" the sentry said walking up to him. "What's the meaning of this!"

The Doctor continued to slam the tray on the wall.

"Stop it!" the sentry said.

The Doctor continued on. The sentry sighed as he withdrew his blaster and opened the door.

"I said stop or I'll shoot!" he said pointing the blaster at him.

The Doctor stopped.

"Thank you." The sentry said. "Now, what is the meaning of all the ruckus?"

The Doctor grinned.

"Why, to lure a simpleton like yourself into my cell so I could do this!"

The sentry grunted as the Doctor slammed the tray into his head. As the sentry staggered backwards, the Doctor grabbed him and snapped his neck. He grabbed the blaster off the floor and dropped his dead body.

As he stepped out into the corridor, he looked over and saw four more sentries running towards him. He raised the blaster and picked off two of them immediately. He ducked back into the cell when the other two returned fire. The Doctor timed their blasts and when there was a lull, he rolled out and onto one leg and hit one of the guards in the head. He quickly shot the other guard in the hand causing him to drop the blaster, ran to him and grabbed him around the neck.

"I could snap your neck like a twig right here and now!" he hissed in his ear. "But I'll spare your miserable life if you lead me to my TARDIS. Take me to it right now or die!"

"Please, I have a wife and kids." The sentry pleaded. "Don't kill me!"

"Then do as I say and you'll get to see your family again!"

The sentry nodded. The Doctor released his hold on his neck and nudged him in the back with the blaster.

"Move!" he said.

The sentry nodded. The Doctor followed him as he led him to his TARDIS.

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"Here it is." The sentry said as he used a key card and unlocked a door.

The Doctor grabbed him by the arm and opened the door. They stepped inside and the Doctor smiled when he saw the large tree standing in the middle of the room.

"Yes!" he hissed through his teeth.

"You got what you wanted, now please let me go." The sentry said.

The Doctor looked over at him, unconcerned.

"Oh sorry I neglected to tell you this, but I'm afraid I changed my mind about letting you go." He said.

Casually, he shot the guard in the head and as the dead body dropped to the floor, he walked over to his TARDIS. Running his hand along the bark, he found the secret door that contained a spare TARDIS key. Taking it out, he closed the door and unlocked the TARDIS. He swung open the door and stepped inside.

"Ah! Now this is more like it!" he said breathing in the familiar scent.

He smiled when he walked over to the console and turned it on.

"Hello, old boy, I'm back." He said. "You ready to go on the hunt for that weak little version of me?"

The TARDIS rumbled and the Doctor nodded.

"Unfortunately for him, I remember how to make the void crossing device. All I need to do is collect the materials again, rebuild it and it's off to the other universe to see the Doctor and his pets."

He smirked.

"I'm especially looking forward to seeing Rose again. I have a special surprise in mind for her and Martha."

He finished imputing the coordinates in the computer.

"But first things first, It's time to go shopping!" he said as his TARDIS entered the vortex.

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(The Original Universe…)

The Doctor opened the door and he, Rose and Martha stepped out into the middle of a lush rainforest.

"Where is this?" Rose asked.

"Belos Minor. A beautiful world that's mainly rainforest. There isn't any intelligent life here per say, just various flora and fauna. I thought it would be a nice change of pace to be somewhere where you don't have someone smart enough to hatch a plot against us."

"Sounds good to me." Martha said.

"Me too."

He smiled and poked Rose's belly.

"Well, I think a nice hike will work off that ham and pineapple you just ate." He said.

He paused for a moment and scratched his chin as he looked up at a tree beside him.

"Aha!" he said walking over to it.

He reached up and grabbed something sitting on a low branch and brought it over to them. Rose and Martha looked at the little brown, fuzzy puffball with huge black eyes and a little black snout.

"This is a Zetay." He said pointing to it.

"Aw," Rose said stroking it. "It's so cute."

She and Martha stared at it in wonder when they heard it begin to sing in a high-pitched voice.

"It likes you." The Doctor said. "That's what it does when it's happy."

"Awww, "Rose said as she and Martha stroked it.

The Doctor put the Zetay on Rose's shoulder and she smiled when it nudged up against her and sang softly.

"Come on, there's more to see over here." The Doctor said leading them further into the woods.

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(The Alternate Universe…)

"Ah, finally the last piece." The Doctor said as he entered his TARDIS. "It was a lot easier this time since I knew exactly what I needed to get and where to go."

He smiled as he stared at the various pieces scattered on the floor in front of the console.

"And now, to assemble them." He said as he got down on his knees.

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A few hours later, the Doctor got up from the floor and stared at the completed void crossing device.

"That's taken care of." He said. "And now one more thing to do before crossing over. I have to visit an old friend and get a little work done."

He quickly entered some coordinates into the computer and headed off into the future.

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"Doctor Cairn, there's someone here to see you. Says he's an old friend?"

Doctor Cairn looked up from the paperwork on his desk to the nurse standing in the doorway.

"Does he have a name, this old friend?" he asked her.

"Says his name is the Doctor."

Cairn beamed.

"Ah, yes, show him in then." He said.

"Yes, doctor."

She went back out the door and a few minutes later, she returned with the Doctor.

"Mephesto, old buddy!" the Doctor said, patting him on the shoulder. "How's business?"

"Business is booming!" Cairn said smiling. "People getting plastic surgery left and right. It's all the rage, you know!"

The Doctor nodded.

"Well, count me in because I need you to do some work on me now." He said.

"Oh? What kind of work?"

The Doctor pointed to his scar.

"I need this gone." He said. "And I need another eye."

"Cybernetic?"

"Yes, but I want it to match my own as closely as possible. I want it to look so realistic no one will be able to tell the difference between it and my other eye. Can you do that?"

"Of course I can." Cairn said. "But, why the sudden need for plastic surgery?"

The Doctor smiled.

"I'm going on a little holiday, and I want to look my best when I go see some old friends."


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks for everyone who's reviewed so far! I appreciate it! Madeye Harry…I don't think Saxon will make an appearance in this story, but that's a great idea for another dark Doctor story after this. It would neat to see the Master and the dark Doctor joining forces!

Chapter Three

"Do you like it?"

Cairn stood behind the Doctor as he stared at himself in the mirror.

"I love it." The Doctor replied.

He grinned. The scar was completely gone and Cairn had even gone so far as to replace the hairs in his eyebrow where the scar had been. His eye was perfect too. He was a spitting image of his double.

"Lucky for you, I just developed a new kind of eye." Cairn said. "It has a special self renewing lubricant that flows over the eye and makes it look moist. Also, the neural connections are improved too. Your eye will move with your other eye just as a normal one would. No one will know it's not real."

"Excellent!" the Doctor said grinning at his reflection. "Mephesto, you've really outdone yourself this time. Your handiwork is incredible!"

"Thank you." Cairn said bowing his head.

The Doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bag of gold.

"Worth every dinaros." He said tossing it to him.

Cairn bowed again.

"Anytime I can be of service, please let me know." He said.

He put a hand on his shoulder.

"That I will, thanks again and good luck with the business."

"Thank you, Doctor." Cairn said. "Have fun on your holiday. I hope your friends like your new look."

"Oh trust me; they'll just die when they see it." He said.

Chuckling to himself, he left the office as Cairn went to tell the nurse to bring in the next patient.

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"And now for one last thing." The alternate Doctor said walking into the TARDIS.

He walked over to his computer and brought up a computer program. He entered something in the search engine and smiled when a certain picture came up. He hit enter and the smile widened when he saw the words TRANSFORMATION COMPLETE flash on the screen.

"Thank Rassilon my chameleon circuit functions unlike some dimwitted Time Lord that I know of." He said walking to the door.

He stepped outside and turned around. He chuckled as he stared at the blue police call box in front of him.

"Perfect!" he said. "An exact duplicate."

He slapped his hands together.

"And now onto the other universe!"

He went inside and closed the door behind him.

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"He's just too cute." Rose said as she carried the Zetay into the TARDIS. "I think I'll call him Puff."

The Doctor made a face as he and Martha entered in behind her.

"Puff? What kind of poncy name is that? Call him Arthur." He said.

Rose rolled her eyes.

"What is it with you and the name Arthur?" she asked. "Seems like everything we come across has to be called that."

"Arthur is a nice name. I had a very good friend named Arthur. I used to come round every once in awhile and help him work on his stories. In fact, I'm the one who came up with the idea for a villain named Moriarty and once he wrote him in, his book sales went through the roof."

"You knew Sir Arthur Conan Doyle?" she said.

"Yes, I helped inspire him to write the Sherlock Holmes stories. In fact, I am Sherlock Holmes." He said.

"Oh, bullshit, Doctor."

"I am!" the Doctor insisted. "Look, who is Sherlock Holmes? He's a super-intelligent, multi-talented man who went around solving mysteries with the help of his loyal companion, Doctor Watson. That's me!"

"You had a companion named Doctor Watson, then?" Martha asked.

"Well, no, I had a female companion named Peri with me when I would go to see him, but at the time he was writing the stories, it would have been unusual and slightly scandalous for a female to be helping a unmarried, unrelated male solve mysteries instead of being a homemaker, so to avoid controversy, he made the companion male."

"You are so full of shit, it's unbelievable!" Rose said.

"I'm telling the truth!" the Doctor protested.

He threw up his hands and looked up at the ceiling.

"Hey!" he said to the TARDIS. "I'm telling the truth, aren't I?"

The TARDIS rumbled.

"No? What do you mean no? You take that back!" the Doctor said as Rose and Martha roared with laughter.

He pointed up to the ceiling.

"The TARDIS is lying!" he said.

"Sure she is, Doctor." Rose said.

"She is, she's just being a pain in the arse, as usual." He said.

"Uh-huh, well come on, Puff, let's get you back to my room." Rose said.

The Doctor stared at her as she walked past Martha and left the room. The Doctor looked at Martha.

"You believe me, don't you, Martha?" he asked.

"Um…no."

Martha giggled and ran out of the room as the Doctor stared at her open-mouthed.

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The alternate Doctor smiled when he looked at his monitor.

VOID CROSSING SUCCESSFUL

"At last, I'm back in this universe and away from the Time Lords." He said. "And this time I intend to stay here for good!"

He punched a few buttons on the console.

"Now, to cloak my TARDIS just in case the other Doctor's TARDIS can detect me." He said.

He hit another button.

"And having said that, now I will detect where his TARDIS is at, so I can pay him and his pets a visit."

Various concentric circles flashed on the screen as the TARDIS tried to pinpoint the Doctor's location.

"Come on, boy, you can do it. Find the other Doctor." He said staring at the monitor.

After about five minutes, the screen froze and the alternate Doctor smiled as he read the Gallifreyan text.

"Hmmm, Belos Minor, eh? Okay, boy, take us there!"

The central column came to life and the Doctor smiled as the rotor moved up and down.

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Rose and Martha sat on Rose's bed petting Puff and smiling as they listened to it singing to them.

"He's just too cute." Martha said as Puff nipped playfully at her index finger.

"I'm cute too. If you pet me, I might sing as well."

Rose and Martha looked at the Doctor who was standing in the doorway.

"Ooo, might just have to take you up on that, then." Rose said as Martha giggled.

The Doctor smiled as he walked over to her. He bent down next to Rose and Rose giggled as she stroked his hair.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" the Doctor sang in a high-pitched voice.

Rose looked at Martha and grinned at her.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" the Doctor continued singing. "AAAAAA…AH! Rose!"

The Doctor jumped back when Rose touched his groin. Martha died laughing.

"What, you don't sing when I do that?" Rose asked.

"Rose Tyler, you perverted little minx!" he said as the girls bent over laughing.

He gave her a playful swat on the head and bent over to look at Puff.

"You best keep your eye on your mistress." He said to Puff. "She's a sly one!"

"Oh look who's talking." Rose replied.

He leaned back up.

"So, you up for a hike in the other direction? I know an absolutely gorgeous waterfall about a mile away. We can go for a nice swim before we head off."

"Sounds good to me." Martha said.

"Me too." Rose replied.

"Great, get your bathing suits ready and I'll go get my swim trunks."

He bent down to Puff.

"And I'll head to the supply closet and find a nice little cage for Arthur so he doesn't get lost while we're gone."

"Puff, Doctor, not Arthur."

"I'm not calling him Puff. It's humiliating for the poor thing."

Rose raised her eyebrow. The Doctor sighed.

"Fine, Puff it is." He said rolling his eyes.

He put his hand down and nudged Puff into it.

"Come on, mate, I'll find something you can rest in while we're gone." He said.

Rose rolled her eyes when he left the room and she heard him say…

"You poor thing, what a humiliating name. I bet you were called Mondras the Magnificent or something like that, weren't you? A fierce Zetay warrior who was the pride of your people and now you've been reduced to Puff and being squealed over by girls. Poor, poor thing!"


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The alternate Doctor's TARDIS materialized and he stepped outside and looked around.

"Excellent." He said looking at the lush rainforest. "Perfect cover for me and my TARDIS."

He locked the door.

"Now all I have to do is find him." He said.

He moved his trench coat and looked at the blaster at his side. He moved his coat back making sure it was hidden from view and headed off to find the Doctor.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Are you decent, Rose?" the Doctor asked knocking on the closed door.

Rose finished putting on her bathing suit. After the Doctor had left, Martha had gone to her room to put her bathing suit on, leaving her by herself.

"You can come in now, Doctor." She said.

"Okay," the Doctor said walking into Rose's room with a small birdcage and an old towel. "I think this will do nicely for our little friend."

He looked at Puff sitting contentedly on his shoulder and sat the birdcage down on Rose's bedside table. He put the towel inside making sure it covered the entire floor of the cage and looked at Puff.

"Come on, little guy, nap time." He said holding his hand up under his little black feet.

Puff gave out a squeak of protest.

"I know. I know you're comfortable up here, but you gotta stay in this cage while we're gone so you don't get lost." The Doctor said softly.

He slowly put his hand up under Puff and finally he walked out onto his hand.

"That's it, fella." The Doctor said slowly lowering his hand.

He put his hand in the birdcage and gently tilted it. Puff slid off and sat there for a moment in confusion while the Doctor closed the birdcage door and locked it. Puff hesitated and then he slowly walked over to the side of the cage and using the claws on his feet began to climb the bars. He got halfway up and stopped, peering out at everyone with his huge black eyes. Rose smiled as she bent down towards the birdcage.

"Behave while we're gone, Puff." She said.

She grinned when Puff began to climb up towards her face. She stuck her finger through the bar and he gave it a playful nip. She leaned back up and grabbed her towel and street clothes off the bed and waved goodbye to him as she followed the Doctor out the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The alternate Doctor made his way through the trees keeping his eyes open for his double, the pets, or the TARDIS. So far, he hadn't seen much of anything except trees and insects and various rodents scurrying along the forest floor. He kept his hand on the butt of his blaster in case he stumbled on them accidentally. He was hoping to quietly pull a switch and lead his double's pets away from him, but if he lost the element of surprise, he would be ready.

He paused when he suddenly heard voices up ahead of him. He smiled when he recognized Rose and the Doctor's voice floating back to him.

"At last." He said to himself.

Grinning, he quickly hurried through the trees following the voices.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Here we are." The Doctor said as he and Rose and Martha stepped through the trees.

They stopped and looked at the huge river in front of them. Just off to the right, the waterfall roared with a deafening noise as the water fell over a high cliff top to the rocks below.

"It's beautiful." Rose said.

"That it is." The Doctor replied nodding.

"I wish I'd brought my camera." Martha added.

"Me too." Rose said.

"Nah, a picture can't compare to all this." The Doctor said sweeping his hand in front of him. "The beauty and the majesty of nature should be enjoyed firsthand not downloaded into a computer and printed out. This right here is far more magical than a mere photograph."

"Can't argue with that." Rose said nodding.

The Doctor laid his towel down on a nearby rock.

"Could you excuse me for a moment?" he said.

He vanished into the trees as Rose and Martha laid their street clothes and towels on the rock beside the Doctor's towel. Rose dipped her toe in the water and then stuck her foot in. Laughing, she waded out into the water with Martha following behind her. When she got out far enough, she dove under the water and came back up howling with delight at the feel of the cold water on her skin. Martha did the same and the two of them swam around in a circle.

"Doctor!"Rose called out. "Where are ya? You're missing the fun!"

She saw him stick his head out from behind a tree.

"Come on, Doctor!" Rose said beckoning to him. "Get in!"

"Promise you won't laugh?" the Doctor called back.

Rose and Martha looked at each other.

"Um…Why would I laugh?" Rose asked.

"Just…promise."

"Okay, I promise I won't laugh." Rose said.

He looked at Martha.

"You too." He said to her. "Promise you won't laugh."

Martha looked at Rose.

"Um…sure, Doctor, I promise I won't laugh." Martha said looking back at him.

The Doctor nodded and came out from behind the tree. Rose and Martha bit their lips to hold back the laughter when they saw him. The Doctor was wearing a pair of fire engine red swim trunks which stood out like a sore thumb against his lily-white skin. His incredibly thin body gave him a slightly wimpy look and Rose and Martha suddenly realized why he had made them promise not to laugh.

"Geez, Doctor, get out in the sun much?" Martha said.

She and Rose giggled as the Doctor glared at her and laid his clothes on the rock beside his towel.

"Yeah, I'm surprised the suns aren't making you glow as white as you are." Rose added pointing up to the sky.

The Doctor sighed.

"And I knew you were thin, Doctor, but my God, you're a bloody beanpole, ain't ya!" Martha added.

"It's all that running he does. Keeps him slim." Rose said as Martha laughed.

The Doctor eyed Martha.

"I'm sorry, Doctor, I know I promised not to laugh, but you know I never knew you were this thin and white. I'm half expecting some muscle man to come along at any minute and kick sand in your face."

They giggled as the Doctor rolled his eyes. Ignoring their catcalls and wolf whistles, he waded into the water and quickly ducked under getting his upper body wet. He ran his hand over his hair slicking his hair back and then began to do a back stroke as Rose and Martha watched him. He did a back stroke for a few minutes, and then he stopped and floated along letting the current carry him gently downstream as he closed his eyes contentedly.

Rose looked at Martha.

"Watch this." She mouthed to her.

Martha stifled her laughter as Rose quietly sank under the water. Martha swam around and watched as the Doctor kept his eyes closed while he floated away.

Suddenly, he gave out a yell and flung his body upright. He looked over and seeing that Martha was alone, guessed the culprit immediately.

"Rose Tyler, leave my bum alone!" he said as Rose surfaced a few feet away and laughed hysterically.

"What, I can't pinch ya?" she said.

"No, you can't pinch me. I…"

The Doctor was cut short when Rose sank back into the water.

"Rose Tyler, don't you dare try it again!" the Doctor yelled at the water as Martha laughed hysterically.

He paused a moment looking through the murky water for any sign of her. Suddenly, his eyes widened in shock and he began to thrash around as he let out a surprised yell.

"Rose! Let go of my trunks this instant!" he screamed at the water as he tried desperately to hold his swim trunks up. "Rose! Quit it!"

He glared at her when she surfaced and smiled at him.

"Just getting a glimpse of the goods, is all." She said innocently.

"Well, you can keep your sodding hands off my swim trunks, Rose Tyler. I…GAH!"

He jerked his leg up and Rose noticed for the first time that Martha was nowhere in sight. She looked behind her as Martha surfaced.

"What'd you do?" she asked her.

Martha grinned.

"I was just tickling his incredibly cute, chubby little foot."

Rose howled with laughter as the Doctor gave them a look of death. He stared at them for a moment and then a smirk formed on his face as he gave his arm a sweep across the surface of the water and drenched both his companions with a mini tidal wave. He grinned when both of them sputtered and glared at him.

"Uh-huh, not so funny when you're on the receiving end of it, eh?" he said smugly. "I guess that'll teach you to---"

He stopped short when both Rose and Martha glanced at each other and then dived under the water.

"Bloody Hell!" the Doctor yelled swimming as fast as he could away from them.

He gasped when he felt four hands grabbing onto his swim trunks.

"Stop!" he yelled. "Dammit! Quit it!"

He tried to slap at their hands, but their combined assault was too much for him and he screamed as he felt his trunks slide off his legs and vanish into the murky depths. Holding his hands over his private parts, he glared at Martha and Rose as they surfaced nearby. Rose laughed as she held the sopping wet prize up above her head and pointed to them.

"Missing something, Doctor?" Rose said.

She swam away as the Doctor made a grab for her. Reaching the bank of the river, she threw the trunks up onto a rock and dived back under the water as the Doctor lunged for her. She surfaced halfway across the lake and laughed as the Doctor hovered near the bank glaring at her.

"Alright, now get out and get them." He said pointing to the trunks.

Rose looked at Martha.

"Nah, you can get them, I'm tired from swimming." She said.

"Rose Tyler, get your butt over here and get my trunks before I do something nasty!" the Doctor said trying to look as fierce as possible.

"Ooo, yeah, that's really scary, that is." Rose said.

The Doctor glared at her as she and Martha giggled hysterically. He sighed and shook his head. Holding his hands firmly over his private parts, he turned and got out of the water quickly as Rose and Martha ooed and awed.

"Watch out, Martha, you might get blinded from the glare off his bum!" Rose yelled.

They howled with laughter as the Doctor snatched up his trunks and ran into the trees. He emerged, clothed, a few minutes later, folded his arms over his chest and gave them both a stern look that made them laugh harder.

"Laugh it up, but I'll get my revenge sooner or later." The Doctor said to them. "And when I do, you're gonna wish you never pulled that childish little stunt."

He snatched up his clothes and towel from the rock and stomped back into the woods.

"Doctor, I was just kidding." Rose yelled out. "I was just having a laugh, don't get angry."

Rose and Martha looked at each other and sighed.

"Come on, let's go apologize." Rose said rolling her eyes.

Martha nodded and they both swam to shore and got out.

"Doctor, I'm sorry, alright?" Rose said walking into the woods with Martha. "It was just a joke, honestly."

They stopped and looked around.

"Doctor?" Rose said.

"I'm over here, Rose."

Rose and Martha looked off to their right.

"Doctor," Rose said heading towards him as Martha followed behind. "Look, we didn't mean to make you mad, we were just teasing ya and---"

They paused when they finally found the Doctor. He was fully dressed and sitting on a fallen tree trunk. Rose's eyes widened.

"Wow, you got dressed awfully fast." She said to him.

She frowned.

"Wait, you didn't bring your coat with ya." She said pointing to the trench coat.

"And, how'd you get dry so fast?" Martha asked looking at his dry hair and skin.

The Doctor smirked at them as Rose and Martha glanced at one another.

"Doctor, what's going on?" Martha asked.

"A kidnapping. That's what's going on." The Doctor replied nonchalantly.

Rose and Martha stared at him.

"A kidnapping?" Rose asked. "What'd you mean by that?"

"I mean," the Doctor said standing and holding up the blaster. "That you are my prisoners and you will come with me quietly or I will make you watch as I kill my dimwitted double."

Rose and Martha stared at him for a moment and then suddenly realization sank in.

"No! It can't be." Rose said shaking her head. "You can't be here!"

The alternate Doctor smirked.

"That's right, little doggies, I'm back!" he said.

Without another word, he shot a stun beam at each of their chests. Putting the blaster back in his holster, he walked over and chuckled softly as he picked them up from the ground and carried them away into the woods.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

The Doctor finished dressing and headed back towards the river rubbing the towel through his damp hair.

"Yes Rose, I realize you and Martha were only joking." He said aloud. "But I really do not appreciate having my trunks pulled off me and tossed up on shore like that. That went a bit too far! But, because this is a lovely day and it was only lighthearted, innocent fun, I'm going to accept your apology and not be angry. I want to enjoy this day and---"

He stopped short when he emerged from the trees and saw no one in the lake. He frowned and looked around him.

"Rose? Martha?" he called out.

He looked behind him.

"Rose? Martha? Where are you?" he yelled as he stepped back into the woods. "Answer me!"

He let out an angry sigh when all he heard was bird song and the chattering of primates in the trees.

"Damn it, I swear to God, if this is your idea of another joke…" He muttered.

He walked through the woods looking all around him.

"Rose, Martha, come out now! This isn't funny!" He yelled. "Show yourself this instant!"

He paused and put his hands on his hips while he waited for them.

"Where the Hell are they?" he muttered.

He walked back to the lake and saw their clothes and towels were where they had left them. The Doctor looked all around him.

"Rose! Martha!"

Snatching up their clothes and towels, he headed back to the TARDIS.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose? Martha? You in here?" the Doctor said as he entered the TARDIS.

Fear gripped his hearts when he got no response.

"Something is wrong. They wouldn't let the joke go on this long without saying something." He muttered to himself.

He looked up at the ceiling.

"Have Rose and Martha been back since we left?" he asked the TARDIS.

The TARDIS rumbled a no. The Doctor swallowed hard. He dropped the clothes and towels by the door and ran back outside.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The alternate Doctor finished restraining Rose and stepped back to admire his handiwork. Both she and Martha were lying side by side on metal tables in his laboratory. Leather straps held them to the table and an IV needle was inserted into their arms ready for the moment when he would turn on the drip and release a sedative into their veins. The alternate Doctor checked to make sure the restraints were tight and nodded, satisfied.

"I'm so glad I decided to get my face fixed." He said to them. "It made it so easy to take you away from your master."

He looked over at the surgical instruments lying beside Rose's table. Beside the instruments there were two tiny microchips lying on a hand towel. He picked one of them up and fingered the delicate chip marveling at it. He looked over when he heard a groan and saw Rose slowly opening her eyes. He put the chip back on the hand towel and stepped forward. Leaning over, he smiled as Rose looked around, confused. She looked up at him.

"Doctor?" she said slowly.

"Yes, Rose, It's me."

She frowned in confusion when she tried to get up and found she was restrained. Then slowly the fog lifted from her mind and she remembered what had happened.

"Where's my Doctor?" she demanded.

He shrugged.

"Who knows? My first guess is he's probably on his knees in his TARDIS thanking Rassilon that I got rid of the two little burdens plaguing him, but then knowing him, that's probably the wrong answer."

Rose looked down at her restraints and looked over at Martha who was now just starting to wake up.

"What are you going to do to us?" she said looking back up at the alternate Doctor.

"Well, Rose, I'm afraid you and Martha are about to change ownership and get yourselves a new master."

"What do you mean by that?"

Rose looked over at Martha who was now fully awake. The alternate Doctor smiled at her.

"What do you mean by that?" Martha repeated.

"I mean, that once I get through with you and your friend, you will be serving me instead of my double." He said to her.

"We don't serve the Doctor." Rose said to him. "We're not his slaves despite what you think about us and our kind."

"Oh? You're not?" the alternate Doctor said. "Well, then I'm afraid you're about to lose your freedom, sorry."

"We'll never serve you." Martha said.

"Oh, you won't have a choice in the matter, I'm afraid."

He swept his hand over the surgical instruments and laughed when Rose and Martha tried in vain to break free.

"Sorry, but I'm afraid all you're doing is wasting your energy." He said shrugging.

He picked up the chip and held it out to them.

"As I was saying, I'm going to make a small incision directly behind your left ear and then I will insert this chip in your head. Once it is activated, you will become my slaves and turn against the Doctor. Once you have destroyed him, I will use you to help me conquer this universe and establish a new Time Lord empire with me as its ruler. Who knows, I might even be gracious, spare your lives and rewrite your DNA so you'll become Time Ladies. Then, you will have the privilege of mating with your emperor and bringing forth the first of a new breed of Time Lords and Ladies that will govern the planets in my name and finally fulfill our race's true purpose. Together, we will subjugate and control the lesser beings and use them as slave labor to work for the empire and bring in tribute so that I can live in luxury forever."

"You really are daft, you know that?" Martha asked.

"Not as daft as some people I know." The alternate Doctor replied, shrugging.

"You know he'll stop you." Rose said. "The Doctor will find us and this time he won't be so merciful!"

The alternate Doctor snickered. He leaned over and looked into Rose's eyes.

"My dear, your Doctor has no idea I escaped and made my way back here, so what makes you think he'll be looking for me?" he said to her. "And by the time he figures out what's going on, it'll be too late. Once you and Martha have been implanted with the chips, I will send you back to him and you will lie in wait until I give the command and you both will assassinate him. And…unless he's looking for the incision behind your ear, which he won't be, he won't have a clue that you've been altered in any way because I'm going to be the puppet master and you two will be my little marionettes moving when I say and talking when I say and telling the Doctor what I want you to say until finally the trap is sprung and he is betrayed by those he loves the most. Meanwhile, I sit back in the comfort of my TARDIS sipping tea and enjoying the show. So, if I were you, Rose, I would get these silly fantasies of rescue out of your head right now because no one is coming."

He leaned back up and turned to Rose's IV as she and Martha struggled to get out of their restraints. He started the drip and leaned down to kiss Rose on the forehead.

"Sleep now, my love," he said softly. "I promise, this won't hurt a bit."

"You bastard!" Rose screamed as the alternate Doctor snickered and walked over to Martha's IV. As he started the drip, he looked over and saw that Rose's movements were slowing and her eyes were beginning to close.

"Nighty night, Martha." He said blowing her a kiss.

"The Doctor will find you and stop you." Martha said as he walked back to the surgical instruments. "He will save us. Somehow, he will save us."

"That's nice, dear." The alternate Doctor said picking up the scalpel. "Just keep telling yourself that and maybe it'll come true…maybe."

He waited a moment and then turned and smiled when he saw that Rose and Martha were both fast asleep.

"And now, we begin." He said moving Rose's head to the side and grabbing the edge of her ear.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

The Doctor ran his hand through his damp hair in frustration. He had searched for nearly a half hour and still no sign of Rose or Martha.

"Think, where could they have gone?" he murmured to himself.

He looked around him thinking about where to go next when it suddenly occurred to him that he hadn't tried the mental link between himself and Rose. Mentally kicking himself for not thinking of it sooner, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes trying to home in on his lover's mind. His hearts raced when he couldn't feel her like he usually could.

_Rose._ He thought to her. _My angel, where are you? Answer me!_

There was no response.

_Rose, talk to me, tell me where you and Martha are at, please! I can't find you._

Rose didn't respond. The Doctor felt his hearts stop. If anything had happened to her or Martha…

He took off running back towards the TARDIS hoping and praying that her scanners would be able to find them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Ah, all finished." The alternate Doctor said.

He wiped the scalpel off with the hand towel and laid it back on the tray. Bending over, he pulled back Rose's left ear and smiled. The incision was barely detectible. The operation was a complete success. He turned off the IV drip and unbuckled the restraints. He gathered Rose into his arms and carried her off to a spare bedroom to sleep it off. Once she was in the bed, he went back and did the same to Martha.

"Well, Martha," he said when he laid her in the bed next to Rose's. "Now's the time for your valiant Doctor to ride in here on a white steed and rescue you and Rose from this dastardly fate."

He leaned up, put a hand to his ear and listened intently for a moment.

"Funny, I don't hear a horse. Oh well, guess the stupid git isn't coming for you after all. Especially considering I've blocked this TARDIS from all scanning devices and made the outside look invisible with my chameleon circuit, so if he has figured out you two are gone, there's nothing he can do about it except sit around and fret until you get back. So…Toodles, I'll see you and Rose when you wake up."

He covered her body and smirked as he walked out of the room and closed the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor flung open the door of the TARDIS.

"I need your help, girl, Rose and Martha are missing. I need you to scan for any sign of them."

The TARDIS started up the computer before the Doctor got to it. He stood in front of it staring at the monitor as the TARDIS scanned for Rose and Martha. He let out a frustrated yell when the scan came back negative.

"Try another one." He said to her. "Scan for artron energy signatures."

The screen flashed as the Doctor put his head in his hands and stared at the screen intently.

"Come on, come on, be out there." He muttered.

He sighed angrily when he got another negative response.

"Body heat!" he said not willing to give up.

The screen flashed again. Again, a negative. The only things the TARDIS could pick up were the creatures that lived in the rainforest.

"Um…scan for higher intelligence." He said.

The TARDIS rumbled.

"No! Do it! I don't care if you think it's pointless, I'm not gonna give up until I've exhausted all possibilities. I'm not about to lose them. Now scan!"

The TARDIS obeyed and the screen flashed again, and again there was a negative. The Doctor slammed his hand down on the side of the console.

"Think, think, they couldn't have just vanished into thin air!" he muttered to himself.

He paused a moment.

"Vanished." He muttered.

He ran back to the monitor.

"Scan for any evidence of ships landing or leaving the planet besides ours." He said.

The monitor flashed again and this time the screen brought up one match. The Doctor yelled triumphantly as he gripped the console.

"Identify ship!" he said praying that it was still on the planet.

The screen flashed for a moment and then stopped.

The Doctor's mouth dropped open in shock as he read the response.

"What do you mean, cannot identify?" he said enraged. "What kind of ship was it?"

The TARDIS rumbled.

"You don't know? Well, find out! Rose and Martha's life may be at stake!"

The TARDIS tried again, and again she came up with 'cannot identify'.

The Doctor yelled in frustration.

"Where is it then? Where did it land? Tell me the location!" he roared.

The TARDIS flashed and he read the screen.

"Okay, it landed about a half mile southwest of here." He muttered, calming down slightly. "Great! I'm going now and Rassilon help whoever is inside it if they've hurt Rose or Martha."

He sprinted towards the front door, flung it open and dashed outside desperate to get to his girls before something bad happened to them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose opened her eyes and looked around. She frowned when she noticed she was lying in bed. She glanced over and saw Martha was beside her.

"Martha!" she said softly.

Martha groaned.

"Martha!"

"Yeah?" Martha muttered.

"You alright?" Rose asked.

"The left side of my head hurts like crazy." Martha replied slowly opening her eyes.

She looked at Rose and looked around at their surroundings. Aside from the beds, there was nothing in the room.

"Where are we?" Martha asked. "Are we enslaved?"

"I don't know. It doesn't feel like it." Rose replied.

Martha hesitated and then slowly rose up to a sitting position. She looked down at her hand and brought it up to her face. She wiggled her fingers and looked over at Rose.

"My body's doing everything I want it to." She said to her.

Rose grinned.

"Maybe the chip failed." She said.

Martha grinned back.

"Or maybe it was just a bluff." She said. "Maybe he wanted us to think there was a chip in our heads so we would obey him."

Rose sat up and looked at the door. She got out of the bed, walked to the door and opened it a crack. Sticking her head out, she looked around and saw no one. She stuck her head back in and looked at Martha.

"I don't see anyone out there." She whispered. "Let's get outta here. Maybe we can get out the front door before he knows we're gone."

Martha nodded. She threw back the covers and walked to the door. They waited a moment checking to see if anyone was coming and then they opened the door and tiptoed down the hallway.

"Is this TARDIS like the Doctor's?" Martha whispered.

"Dunno, but I hope it is." Rose whispered back. "They turned a corner and headed in the direction of what Rose hoped was the console room. They turned another corner and ran into a dead end.

"Bollocks!" Rose muttered. "Back the other way then."

They turned. To their utter shock, they saw that there was now another wall behind them. They looked at the other wall and at each other.

"Oh God, the TARDIS, It's helping this Doctor." Rose said walking to the newly created wall.

"Precisely."

They both spun around and saw the other wall had vanished and the alternate Doctor was standing there smirking at them.

"Come now, you've traveled with my double, surely you've learned by now that TARDIS's are sentient ships able to see everything going on within it?" he said. "You honestly think you two were just gonna walk out the front door without my ship doing something about it?"

"You've failed, Doctor." Rose said.

The Doctor gave her an amused grin.

"In what way, my dear?"

"You didn't enslave our minds. These chips failed if you even put them in at all." She replied.

"Oh, they're in there alright. Take a look behind Martha's left ear. You'll see the incision mark."

Keeping her eyes on the alternate Doctor, Rose walked over to Martha and took a look behind her ear.

"You'll notice there's a tiny incision. That's where the chip was implanted."

"Is there?" Martha asked.

"Yeah, but…"

She looked at the alternate Doctor.

"How do we know you didn't just make a cut and then say that you put something in us? I'm in control of my body and so is Martha!"

"Oh, that's because I haven't activated the chip yet." The alternate Doctor said pulling a small silver box out of his coat pocket. "The chips can be programmed with the TARDIS computer and while you were asleep, I downloaded the program I created into the chips. Once I turn them on, the program will be activated. Besides, I thought I'd let you two have one last taste of freedom before you became mindless slaves. So, you have, and now that everything is ready…it's time to serve me."

He hit a red button on the top of the box and grinned when Rose and Martha's eyes glazed over and their bodies became rigid.

"See, told ya…chip's in there." He said shrugging.

He cleared his throat.

"Now for a test run." He said.

He held out his hand.

"Come to me, Rose."

Rose obeyed without a moment's hesitation. She took his hand and he guided her to his side.

"Who am I, Rose?" he asked putting his arm around her.

"You are my lover and my ruler. The man I worship above all others." Rose said smiling sweetly at him as she stroked the side of his face.

"Who is the other Doctor, then? The man who looks like me?"

"He is an imposter. A pale, weak clone of my true love." Rose said angrily. "The man who will stop at nothing to destroy my lord and master."

"Excellent." The alternate Doctor said. "And what will you do to prevent this other Doctor from carrying his plan out?"

"I will kill him without mercy."

"Yes, you will, but not before you have a bit of fun with him. After all, I want my double to pay and pay dearly for humiliating me and what better way to get revenge than for you to torment him before he dies."

"Yes, my love, I will do whatever you command me to do." Rose replied.

The alternate Doctor leaned in, hesitated a moment and then shrugging, bent over and kissed her passionately on the lips.

"Hmmm, not bad." He said leaning back up. "I suppose the longer I do it, the more I will get used to the taste. In the meantime…"

He looked at Martha.

"Come to me." He said to her.

Martha came to his other side without any hesitation.

"Who am I?" he asked her.

"You are my lord and master. The greatest Time Lord who ever lived." Martha replied. "No other is your equal and no other shall ever be as great as you."

The alternate Doctor nodded.

"Who is this other Doctor? The man who looks like me?" he asked.

"He is a pretender to the throne. A spineless coward who thinks he can outshine my lord and usurp his benevolent rule."

"And what will you do to him?"

"I will kill him without a second thought. I will do anything to protect my lord and master."

The alternate Doctor chuckled.

"Ah, this is just too good. The Doctor's pets in my thrall, ready to kill him at my command, and the fool will willingly take his assassins back to his TARDIS without a second thought. I'm so brilliant sometimes I even surprise myself."

He cupped Rose's face in his hands.

"Are you ready to carry out the task I have assigned to you?" he asked.

"Yes, my love!"

He looked at Martha.

"Are you ready to carry out the task I have assigned to you?"

"Yes, my lord!"

"Excellent! Then go, my pets, leave the TARDIS and find the imposter and don't come back until you have his hearts on a platter."


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

The Doctor paused to catch his breath. He had been running non-stop ever since he left the TARDIS and he was exhausted. He leaned against a tree taking air into his lungs while he looked around him for any sign of an alien ship. He figured that he was near the spot, but when he leaned back up and looked around, he still couldn't see anything. Sighing, he began to walk southwest praying that he would find Rose and Martha.

As he walked around a tree, he stopped and stared with a mixture of disbelief and joy. Martha and Rose were sitting side by side on a fallen tree trunk talking quietly. He gave out a shout as he ran towards them and embraced them tightly.

"Where have you been?" he said. "I was worried sick about you. What happened?"

"We…got lost." Rose replied.

The Doctor leaned up and looked at Rose.

"I tried to contact you telepathically, Rosebud, why didn't you answer me?" he asked.

"I…guess I wasn't paying attention. I was just trying to find my way back to the TARDIS." Rose replied.

The Doctor nodded.

"Well, thank Rassilon, I found you. A spaceship landed here recently. I'm not sure if it's still in the area, but I want you both away from here just in case it's still around."

He smiled as he took Rose and Martha's hands and helped them to stand.

"Next time, you wanna play a practical joke; make sure you don't go wandering off afterwards." He said.

Rose and Martha glanced at each other.

"Yes…Doctor." Martha replied.

"We'll be more careful next time." Rose added.

He nodded and smiled.

"Well, come on, let's head for home then." He said.

Both girls smiled sweetly at him, but when his back was turned they looked at him with pure hate. The Doctor was unaware of this. Happy to have his girls back safe and sound, he headed off for the TARDIS with Rose and Martha walking behind him. As they walked, Rose looked over and noticed a tree limb lying on the ground. Rose and Martha glanced at one another, sharing a conspiratorial look. She picked the limb up and eyed the Doctor's head as she raised the limb above her head.

_No!_

Rose paused when the alternate Doctor's voice thundered inside her head.

_Not yet, my dear, let him live for a little while longer. When it comes time to kill him I will give you and Martha the signal to strike._

Rose dropped the limb.

"Yes, my love." She said aloud.

The Doctor looked around.

"Hmmm?"

Rose looked at him.

"What?" she said when she noticed the Doctor staring at her, confused.

"You said, yes my love. Yes, my love, what?" he said.

Rose feigned confusion.

"Didn't you say something to me just now?" she asked innocently.

"No, I didn't say anything."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you said something." Rose replied.

"Nope, not a word."

"Oh… I…uh… must be hearing things, I guess." Rose said.

The Doctor smiled at her lovingly and turned his head back around.

_Don't answer back to me, Rose. There is no need for it. Just obey._

Rose nodded in reply. She and Martha kept close to the Doctor as he led them back home.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor yawned as he sat in the TARDIS library reading a book. It had been several hours since they left Belos Minor and he was the only one awake. He turned the page and pushed his reading glasses further up his nose as he sighed contentedly and rested his head on his chin. He was so engrossed in his book that he didn't see Rose was behind him.

Rose stood silently staring at the imposter. He was unaware of her presence. It would be so easy to snap his neck and kill him now. The fool wouldn't even know what hit him. But, her beloved had told her to wait and she would wait forever if that was what he wished. Still, that didn't mean she couldn't have some fun with the stupid git. She crept up behind him and put her hands around his neck grinning as she imagined hearing the enormous snap that would come if she wrenched his neck around. She watched as the Doctor raised his head up and looked around at her.

"Rose? What are you doing?" he said confused. "I thought you were in bed."

She moved her hands down to his shoulders and began to knead the muscles.

"I couldn't sleep." She said giving him a massage. "So, I thought I'd come find you."

The Doctor let out a low, guttural growl.

"Oh Rassilon, yes, that feels so good, Rose." He said leaning his head back against her and closing his eyes.

Rose smirked at him. So trusting. She and Martha would have no trouble dispatching him when the time came.

"Do you like this?" she asked sweetly, continuing the massage.

"Yes." The Doctor sighed.

Rose moved her right hand to his throat and began to gently massage his Adam's apple. The Doctor smiled enjoying the feel of her fingertips on his skin. She leaned his head to the side and ran her index finger down his jugular vein. She hesitated a moment and leaned into his ear.

"Do you want me to continue?" she whispered.

"Yes." The Doctor whispered back.

She traced her finger back up the vein and ran her fingers lightly across his cheek and through his hair as the Doctor moaned softly. As she ran her hands through his hair, she glanced over at the desk and noticed a letter opener lying near the edge. Her eyes went from the letter opener back down to his jugular vein. She looked away resisting the overwhelming urge to plunge the letter opener into his neck and instead lowered her lips to his cheek. She gave him a feather soft kiss and lingered there letting her breath caress his skin.

"Oh Rassilon," the Doctor moaned. "You know exactly what to do to relax me."

Rose fought the urge to laugh in the idiot's face and gave him another kiss. She gave him kiss after kiss trailing her lips down his cheek back to his jugular vein where she began to suck and bite at his flesh. The Doctor's breath became shallow and he raised his hand to her hair running his fingers through it as he moaned in ecstasy.

Rose smiled to herself marveling at how easy it was to seduce him and put him completely in her power. He was absolute putty in her hands now and she was sure if she did stab him, he probably wouldn't notice she'd done it for several minutes. Loving the hold she had over him, she raised her head and put her lips close to his ear.

"My sweet Doctor, I love you so much." She whispered in his ear.

"I love you too, my Rose, now and forever." The Doctor whispered back.

"I would die for you; you know that, don't you?" Rose whispered.

"Yes I do, and I would die for you."

_Good, I'm glad to hear you say that._ Rose thought_. Because dying for me might happen sooner than you think._

She leaned back up slightly and took his reading glasses off his face. Laying them on the desk, she came around to the front and leaned over, kissing both his eyelids. The Doctor smiled and let out a sigh letting the love of his life work her magic. Her caresses were heaven to him and his senses were about to go into overload from the touch of her fingers. He felt completely intoxicated and he thanked Rassilon for the millionth time that she had found her way back to him. He had never felt such complete peace and contentment before. Only Rose could make him feel this way. Only she had to power to reduce the Oncoming Storm to a quivering blob of jelly. He was the Doctor, a living legend, a Time Lord who had fought with gods and demons, stood up against the Daleks and the Slitheen, faced the Valeyard and the Master and the Rani and defeated them all, but if Rose Tyler commanded him to fall to his knees then and there and be her slave, he would do it without a second thought. She possessed so much power over him that at times it was absolutely terrifying. A human girl held his mind in her thrall and he didn't mind it one bit. He only wanted more.

Rose sneered when she stared down at his calm, smiling face. He was a little weakling, so unlike her strong, brave Doctor. How this man ever defeated and imprisoned her lord was beyond her. And now, the fool sat there with his guard down, unaware of the hate that burned in her heart for him. She would make him suffer for what he did to her love. She would make him suffer slowly before he died and judging from the idiotic look on his face, he probably wouldn't protest or fight back, just blubber out his love for her with his final breath.

She caressed his cheek staring down at his closed eyes. She longed to kill him. The anticipation was maddening. She wished her love would give the signal, so she could put this sappy git out of his misery and end his pathetic life. She paused a moment and then decided to test something. She moved her hand from the Doctor's cheek back down to his neck. She wrapped her hand around the front of it keeping her eyes on his face as she slowly began to squeeze his windpipe. She noticed he frowned slightly, but otherwise he remained silent and let the hand stay where it was. She loosened her hold and gave him a tender kiss on the cheek. She leaned back up and saw that the contented smile had returned.

_He trusts me completely. Killing him will be so easy._ She thought.

Tiring of the game, she leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"I'm going to go to bed now, my Doctor." She whispered to him. "I'm tired."

"Go ahead, angel." The Doctor whispered back. "I'll be right here if you need me."

Rose gave him another kiss.

"Good night, Doctor."

"Good night, Rose, sweet dreams."

"You too."

She gave him one last kiss and took her hands away from him. She headed towards the door and looking back saw that the Doctor still had his eyes closed as he relaxed in the chair. Laughing softly, she walked out of the room and headed back to bed.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

The alternate Doctor chuckled to himself as he watched the monitor on his console. Thanks to the chip, he was able to see everything by using the optic nerve in his slave's head to see out of her eyes. He had just witnessed the interaction between his pet and the Doctor and loved every minute of it. The Doctor had laid there completely relaxed and unaware of Rose's true motives. He knew now that he had made the right decision when he brainwashed her and Martha. His double would never suspect in a million years that his death would come from the ones he loved the most.

He watched as Rose shut her eyes blocking out his view. He smiled to himself.

"Get some sleep, my slave, you earned it." He said.

He switched to another screen. He checked to see whether the TARDIS was still tracking his double's TARDIS. Satisfied that he was still following the Doctor without his knowledge, he yawned, stretched and headed for bed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor whistled to himself as he used the spatula to fry up some eggs for breakfast. After Rose's ministrations, he felt better than he had in several months. So, much so, that he was able to get in a few hours of peaceful sleep.

He smiled when he heard Martha and Rose drawing near. He looked over as they entered the kitchen.

"Good morning, my lovelies!" he said. "I'm fixing us all a great big breakfast!"

Rose and Martha smiled back at him. They glanced at each other when he turned back around and sat down at the kitchen table.

"How much longer must we wait before we destroy him?" Martha whispered to Rose.

"I don't know, but I hope it's soon. I can't take much more of this." Rose whispered back. "I had to stop myself from killing him last night."

Martha looked at the Doctor who was singing cheerfully while he slid the eggs out onto a couple of plates.

"Why should we wait?" she whispered to Rose. "Let's kill him now before he suspects something. He will not put up a fight. We have the element of surprise."

_I am the one who will tell you when to kill him._ the alternate Doctor said in their minds.

"But, my lord," Martha whispered. "He is defenseless. Why must we wait?"

_Because I command you to, and you will listen to me! I am your lord and you will obey me! Is that understood?_

"Yes, my lord." Martha and Rose whispered in unison.

_Excellent. Do not fear, my pets, it will not be much longer. I wish him to land somewhere so you can lead him straight to me. I want to witness his death personally. _

"So, all we have to do is get him to land somewhere and then we can get this over with?" Martha whispered.

_Correct. _

Martha and Rose smiled at each other. They looked over as the Doctor brought them their plates and silverware and sat them down in front of them.

"Um…Doctor." Rose said as the Doctor went back to get their glasses of milk.

"Yes, Rose?"

Rose glanced at Martha.

"Um…you know, I'm feeling kinda bored. Why don't we go explore somewhere?" she said innocently.

The Doctor sat the glasses down beside the plates and smiled at her.

"Oh really?" he said. "Getting a little antsy, are we?"

Rose nodded.

"Yeah, you know, I just want to get out somewhere and have a little adventure."

"Me too." Martha added.

The Doctor beamed at them.

"Well," he said walking over to get his plate and glass. "What do you want to see?"

Rose glanced at Martha.

"Where do you wish him to go, my lord?" she whispered.

_Anywhere is fine; just lead him to me as soon as you land._

Rose nodded. The Doctor looked back at her.

"Are you deciding or have you just gone quiet?" he asked.

"Well…I really want to go somewhere exciting. Somewhere that has a little bit of danger." Rose replied.

The Doctor raised his eyebrow.

"Wow, you must be really bored." He said carrying his plate and glass over to the table. "Usually you want me to land somewhere quiet."

"Nah, quiet's boring. I want some excitement." Rose said.

The Doctor nodded.

"Me too." He replied.

He speared a bit of egg on his fork and ate it while he thought over a destination.

"Well…" he said through the mouthful of egg. "There is always Aradia."

Rose and Martha glanced at each other.

"What's there?" Martha asked.

The Doctor took a swig of milk and swallowed.

"Aradia is a desert planet in the Whirlpool Galaxy. Very sandy, hot and barren. Lots of poisonous creatures and a race called the Artaxis live there. They're fierce, warlike desert warriors who show no mercy to anyone they come across. They love to kill their captives slowly and painfully so if they catch us, that's what we can expect. Is that enough excitement for ya?"

Rose and Martha looked at each other. They started to speak when the Doctor interrupted them.

"Or…there is Lavios. A planet in the Andromeda Galaxy that's filled with active volcanoes that erupt pretty much nonstop. The eruptions are spectacular and worth the trouble of going, but you have to know exactly where to stand otherwise you'll be overwhelmed by the lava and burnt to a crisp in seconds."

"Well…"

"Or…We could go to the ice planet Galadon and meet the Galadonians, another warlike tribe that like to kill their captives by impaling them up the arse on huge icicles and letting them slide down them slowly as their insides are pierced. Is that up your alley?"

Rose and Martha looked at one another with wide eyes.

"Or….we could just go to Raxicoricofallipatorius and kick a few Slitheen in the bum for shits and giggles. Other than that, I can't think of anything else at the moment, so what'll it be, my brave adventurers?"

"Um…are you sure these places are safe enough for us?" Rose asked.

Even though she wanted the Doctor to die, she didn't want her or Martha to end up in danger and possibly dying with him.

The Doctor smiled and took her and Martha's hands.

"I won't let a single scratch get on your bodies." He said tenderly. "I'm a professional. I wouldn't suggest going somewhere if I didn't think we could handle it. Trust me."

Rose and Martha glanced at each other.

"What'd you think, Martha?" Rose asked her.

"Um…I don't fancy the whole being impaled on the icicles thing and volcanoes sound a bit too dangerous. Kicking aliens in the bum doesn't sound interesting enough for me, so I vote for the desert planet."

The Doctor looked at Rose.

"Rose, how about you?"

"Um…Yeah, I vote for the desert planet too. That sounds pretty cool." She said.

The Doctor grinned.

"Then, Aradia it is." He said happily. "We'll go there after we eat."

Martha and Rose glanced at each other and smiled. At last, they would get to kill their lord's greatest enemy and when they did, they would show him no mercy.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

The Doctor opened the TARDIS doors and peeked outside.

"All clear." He said leaning back in.

He adjusted the turbans on Rose and Martha's head. He pulled the bottom of the fabric up to cover the lower half of their faces and used another piece to tie it behind their heads. Once he was finished, he attended to his own turban and when it was fixed, he buckled a belt around his waist that had two cantinas tied to it. He opened the door again and he and the two women stepped outside.

"Keep your wits about you. The Artaxis are clever. They know the terrain like the back of their hand and they know how to hide in it. Also, there are the poisonous animals to consider as well. Stay close to me and keep your eyes open and we'll be okay."

Rose and Martha nodded. The Doctor closed the door and took their hands as the three of them began to walk towards a sand dune. The sand swirled around them as they climbed it and the heat was intense. Rose suddenly wanted to go to the ice planet. Freezing her ass off would be paradise compared to this.

Suddenly, the Doctor grabbed her by her arm and she gasped as he pulled her and Martha backwards. Two seconds later, an enormous serpent reared its scaly head out of the sand and snapped its jaws shut. It looked around, confused, and spying its meal standing a few feet away began to slither out of the sand dune. It let out an angry hiss when the Doctor whipped out his sonic screwdriver and used it on him. The serpent let out another hiss and slid backwards into the sand. As the shifting sand covered its retreat, the Doctor sighed and lowered his screwdriver.

"A Slithra." He said to Rose and Martha. "Luckily, I felt it shift underneath my feet just before it was going to strike, otherwise we would be dinner by now."

Rose and Martha glanced at each other suddenly wanting to turn around and head back to the TARDIS.

"Come on, you two, let's keep going." The Doctor said.

"No."

The Doctor looked at Rose.

"Rose, we need to keep going, the Slithra could decide to strike again at any moment."

"I…I…want to go back to the TARDIS." She said backing up.

"Why?"

"I'm…scared." Rose said.

The Doctor held out his hand to her.

"Don't be scared, Rose, I'll protect you and Martha, I promise." He said gently. "It'll be alright, just take my hand and stay by my side."

"No, I don't…trust you."

The Doctor stared at her not sure if he heard her right. He glanced over at Martha who was also beginning to back away.

"Guys, come on, we've been through far worse than this and both of you didn't bat an eyelid. Why this sudden fear and mistrust? I won't let anything happen, I swear. Now come on, I thought you two wanted excitement and danger, that's why we came here."

"I…changed my mind." Rose said turning.

"Me too." Martha added.

The Doctor threw up his hands in frustration.

"Fine, if you don't wanna do this, I won't force you to." He said angrily. "Come on then, let's get back to the TARDIS so we can go."

Rose started to follow him.

_NO!_

Rose and Martha stopped short when she heard the alternate Doctor yell inside their minds.

_You will bring the Doctor to me. My TARDIS is located directly behind you about a half mile. Lead him here._

"No, my love, I'm afraid to go on." Rose whispered.

_OBEY!_

His voice was so loud that Rose and Martha's heads jerked involuntarily. Up ahead, the Doctor paused and turned to look at them.

"Well?" he said.

Rose gulped down the fear and tried to calm her rapidly beating heart. She had to obey her lover no matter how terrified she was at what might be lurking beyond the dune.

"I…I changed my mind." She said to the Doctor. "I want to go on."

"So, do I." Martha added.

The Doctor's mouth dropped open and he stared at them silently.

"I thought you were too scared to go on! I thought you didn't trust me!" he finally said.

Rose and Martha glanced at each other.

"I do trust you, Doctor." Rose said. "It's just that…that thing…scared me to the point that I wanted to go back. But, I want to go on, Doctor. I know you won't let anything happen to us. I love you and I trust you completely."

The Doctor sighed and threw up his hands.

"Make up your bloody mind." He muttered to himself as he walked back to them.

He took their hands and pulled them close to him. He looked into both their eyes.

"Are you sure you want to go on?" he asked. "Because I don't want to turn back again once we get started."

Rose glanced at Martha and both nodded.

"Alright then, let's go." He said.

Rose and Martha pushed aside their fear as the Doctor held their hands and they walked up the sand dune. As they climbed, both women looked around half expecting another creature to lunge out of the sand and make a grab for them.

They reached the top of the sand dune and looked around. In all directions, there was nothing but more sand and sand dunes. The planet's twin suns beat down relentlessly on their heads and Rose felt like she was going to pass out. She put her hand on one of the cantinas and looked up at the Doctor with a pleading look in her eyes. The Doctor nodded and untied the cantina.

"Just a little bit." He said to her. "We need to conserve water while we're out here."

Rose pulled down the bottom of the turban and drank the water hungrily, loving the way the cool water felt on her throat. The Doctor gently took it out of her hands after a few seconds.

"That's it for now." He said firmly.

Rose let out a disappointed moan as the Doctor handed the cantina to Martha. She fiddled with the turban trying to get it back where it was while she hoped that they would reach her beloved's TARDIS before she died of thirst and heat stroke.

The Doctor tied the cantina back on the belt after Martha had gotten a sip of water. Once he was finished, he took both their hands again and they resumed walking.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose let out a tired sigh as she and the others trudged up another large dune. So far, they hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary and she was beginning to wonder if they were even going in the right direction. They hadn't run into any other creatures and for that Rose was grateful, but just the same she would give anything for another Slithra to come out of the sand and gobble up the Doctor. He was going on and on about the history of the planet and its creatures and boring her to tears. She glanced over at Martha and saw she was just as bored as she was with his incessant prattling. She would be so glad when they were back with her love and wouldn't have to suffer this fool any longer.

They reached the top of the dune and mercifully, the Doctor paused in his sermon as he looked around trying to get his bearings.

_Rose, Martha!_

Rose and Martha looked at each other when they heard the alternate Doctor speaking to them.

_Don't say anything, just listen. I'm nearby. Just go up the next dune and you'll see a tiny hill of sand. That's the TARDIS. Lead him there and I'll be waiting for you._

_At last, we can finally be rid of him._ Rose thought.

But, to her horror, the Doctor was pointing off to his right.

"I think we should go this way. The dunes aren't as big." He said.

"No!"

The Doctor jerked his head around and looked at Rose when he heard her yell.

"I'm sorry?" he said to her.

"No, let's just keep going straight." Rose said quickly.

"Rose, the dunes are enormous." He said pointing to the large one in front of them. "You see, over there they're not as large."

"But I want to go this way!" Rose said.

"Yeah, me too."

The Doctor folded his arms over his chest.

"May I ask why?" he said to them.

Rose looked at his narrowed eyes through the gap in his turban and gulped.

"I…I don't wanna get lost." She said sheepishly.

She looked away as the Doctor stared at her intently. He took her chin and made her look back at him.

"Something isn't right." He said to himself. "You're not acting like yourself."

The eyes narrowed further and Rose felt her heart beating fast and furious. The Doctor stepped forward slightly and his dark eyes bored into her. Rose shifted nervously and tried to look away. The Doctor grabbed her chin again and forced her to look at him.

"I don't like this." He said to himself.

He looked at Martha and Martha tried not to flinch when he gave her the same scrutinizing look he had given Rose. He stared at her for a few moments before he shifted his gaze back to Rose.

"When Cassandra had control of you, you didn't act right either." The Doctor said. "You haven't been afraid to explore a new planet since our first few outings together and even then you always trusted that I would take care of you no matter what happened."

He looked at Martha.

"And the same goes for you. Both of you are acting odd all of a sudden."

He looked back at Rose.

"Why are you so eager to go that way?" he said pointing straight ahead.

"I told you I don't want to get---"

"Don't give me that, Tyler!"

His eyes were slits.

"If that is who you really are." He added.

Rose swallowed hard.

"What do you mean?" she said backing up.

She gasped when the Doctor seized her wrist.

"I mean, that something has happened to you and you're either not yourself or you're not Rose at all."

He snatched up Martha's wrist with his other hand when she tried to back away.

"And I'm including you in this, Jones." He said glaring at her. "So, now I want you both to come clean with me. The truth! What's really going on here?"

Rose and Martha looked at each other.

"Well? I'm waiting for an answer!" the Doctor said. "And I'm not letting go of you until I get one!"

_Attack him, my pets, knock him out and subdue him. I am coming to help you._ The alternate Doctor said to them.

Rose breathed a sigh of relief. At last, there would be no more pretending. She balled up her fist as the Doctor watched them expectantly.

Suddenly, they all let out a gasp as arms came up out of the sand beneath their feet and grabbed their legs. The Doctor yelled in shock. He tried to reach in his inside jacket pocket for his sonic screwdriver as several men wearing tan bodysuits and masks and brandishing spears burst out of the sand around them and grabbed their arms. They pulled their arms away from their bodies and held them there as the Doctor let out a frustrated scream.

"It's the Artaxis!" the Doctor yelled as he struggled trying to break free of their grip.

The Doctor grunted as more warriors emerged from the sand grabbing him and Rose and Martha around their arms and legs holding them immobile.

"Let them go!" the Doctor yelled at them as he watched two warriors blindfold his girls. "Take me, but leave them alone!"

He yelled angrily as a blindfold went over his own eyes. Suddenly, he felt something hard hit the back of his head and he slipped into unconsciousness.

The warriors did the same to Rose and Martha, punching them hard in the back of the head and rendering them unconscious. They slipped oxygen masks over their captive's faces and three warriors grabbed them from behind. They used leather straps and secured them to the front of their bodies. They looked at each other and as one, the group quickly hunched down, dug through the sand, and burrowed underneath the dune. There was a slight shifting of the sand for a moment as their feet went in and then all was silent.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

The Doctor opened his eyes and looked around. He was lying on the floor of a room. The walls and floors were made of concrete with a heavy wooden door off to the side. The Doctor saw that Rose and Martha were lying side by side in one corner of the room and he crawled over to them.

"Rose, Martha?" he said gently pulling them onto their backs.

They were still unconscious and the Doctor sat down beside them. He reached into his inside jacket pocket for his sonic screwdriver and sighed angrily when he found it missing. Bringing his knees up to his chest, he brought his arms around them and waited for someone to come into the room and inform them of their fate.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The alternate Doctor stopped just before he reached the top of the dune. After he had given his slaves the command to subdue his double, he had hurried out of his TARDIS. It had taken him a good fifteen minutes to scale the enormous dune in front of him and now he hesitated just before taking the last few steps. If the Doctor was still conscious, he didn't want to let him know he was here, at least not yet. Cautiously, he took a few more steps, reached the top and crouched down hoping if his double wasn't unconscious yet, he would be so busy with his pets that he would take no notice of him.

He frowned when he looked over to the other dune and saw no one in sight. He hurried across the top of the dune and looked down the other side. Again, there was no one. He looked all around him, and saw that he was all by himself.

"Where are they?" he muttered.

He wondered if the Doctor had gotten the upper hand, knocked out his pets and taken them back to his TARDIS. Gritting his teeth, he muttered curses as he slid down the other side of the dune.

"He better not have found out about the chips and messed with them, because if he has and I've lost my hold on my slaves, he will pay and pay dearly!" he muttered to himself as he hurried down the dune.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor looked over when he heard Rose let out a moan. He shifted onto his knees and gently placed his hand on her head.

"Rose?" he said softly.

"Yes?"

"Are you alright?"

"Yes." She murmured.

The Doctor helped her to sit up and she held a hand to her aching head as she brought her knees up to her chest. The Doctor stroked her back as Rose struggled to get her bearings. She looked over at the Doctor and stared at him in confusion as she struggled to remember what had happened.

"My lord, where are we?" she said in a daze.

The Doctor frowned.

"Lord?" he said to himself.

Knowing now that something had happened to Rose, he decided to play along and see if he could figure out what was going on.

"I'm not sure." He said gently. "What do you remember?"

Rose frowned.

"I remember walking through the desert with the imposter and you telling me and Martha that we had to knock him out when he became too suspicious of our plan.

_Imposter?_ The Doctor thought to himself.

"My lord, it is you, isn't it?" Rose asked hesitantly.

The Doctor nodded.

"Yes…um, I was captured by the Artaxis when I went looking for you and Martha." He said. "The Doctor isn't here; he must be in another room."

Rose nodded. The Doctor decided to use Rose's confusion to his advantage. Trying to appear casual, he put his hand on her shoulder.

"Rose, do you remember our plan?" he asked Rose.

Rose nodded.

"Yes, my lord, of course I do." She said.

"What is it?"

She looked at him in confusion.

"My lord?"

"What is our plan? Tell it to me so I know that there is no doubt in your mind about what must be done." The Doctor said.

Rose put her aching head back in her hand.

"We were to lead the imposter to your TARDIS so you could watch while we killed him."

The Doctor's eyes widened in shock.

"TARDIS?" he murmured to himself.

His mind reeled as he tried to think of all the possible owners of this other TARDIS. The Master, the Rani, The Valeyard, The…"

His eyes widened.

"Imposter." He murmured. "If she's calling me an imposter, that means that this other Time Lord must look like me and…oh no…it can't be…"

Rage burned in his mind as he took Rose's hands in his.

"Rose, who am I?" he said to her.

Rose frowned.

"Who are you, my lord?"

"Yes, who am I? Tell me!"

"You are my lover and my lord. The greatest Time Lord that ever lived." She said, confused.

"What is my name?"

"My lord, I…"

"SAY IT!" the Doctor bellowed.

Rose recoiled in shock at the enraged look in his eyes.

"You are the Doctor." She said.

The Doctor dropped her hands. He got to his feet and walked towards the other side of the room.

"You bastard. What have you done to them?" he muttered angrily.

He stood looking at the wall calming himself. He remembered the night before when Rose had caressed and kissed him. He remembered her hand squeezing his throat for a moment and his confusion as he wondered what she was doing.

_We were to lead the imposter to your TARDIS so you could watch while we killed him_

The rage returned and the Doctor clenched his fists.

_Something isn't right. You're not acting like yourselves. Both of you are acting odd all of a sudden._

The Doctor spun back around and walked over to Rose. He knelt down beside her.

"I want you to answer me truthfully, Rose." He said trying to keep his rage under control. "What do you remember from yesterday?"

Rose frowned.

"What do I remember?"

"Yes, what do you remember? What happened yesterday?"

Rose thought to herself.

"You commanded me to go out with Martha and kill the Doctor."

"And before that?"

Rose frowned trying to think. All she remembered was her lover ordering her and Martha to kill the Doctor.

"I don't know, my lord." She said truthfully. "All I remember is you commanding me and Martha to kill the Doctor."

The Doctor cursed under his breath. Now he realized why Rose and Martha had been missing for so long and why he couldn't find the other ship. His double had cloaked and disguised his TARDIS so it would be undetectable. For all he knew, the TARDIS had been right there under his very nose when he found his girls. Camouflaged to look like its surroundings with the help of the chameleon circuit. He was so angry at him and himself, he could hardly think straight.

_When I find him, I swear I will make him pay_ he thought _and this time there will be no second chances._

He looked at Rose who was staring back at him quietly.

_He must have brainwashed them somehow. If she can't remember beyond his command to kill me, it must be some form of hypnosis. If only I knew for sure how he did this._

He stared at Rose while he tried to think of all the possible ways he could have hypnotized her. Rose turned her head to look at the door and the Doctor frowned when he noticed something. He leaned in close to her and Rose looked up at him.

"Rose, turn your head, I want to see something." The Doctor said gently.

"Yes, my lord."

Rose turned her head and the Doctor gently took hold of her left ear and pushed it back. His eyes widened when he saw the small incision just behind it.

"No…" he said to himself.

Rose looked at him, confused, as he crawled past her and turned Martha's head. He looked behind her left ear and he felt himself becoming ill when he saw an identical incision mark.

"Bastard! I'll kill you for this!" he spat out.

"My lord?" Rose said behind him.

He sat back as put his head in his hands. If only he had the sonic screwdriver, he could use it to disable the chips and free their minds. He had to get it back somehow.

Then, two things happened at the same time…

Martha started to wake up

And the cell door unlocked and opened.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

The Doctor got to his feet. Rose and Martha were no longer themselves and had been programmed to kill him, but that didn't stop him from loving them. He would protect them both with his life. So, while Rose helped Martha sit up, the Doctor strode forward to face the Artaxis warrior. He was still wearing the tan bodysuit and the mask he was wearing covered his entire face obscuring his features.

"You will speak to me and me alone." He said.

The warrior chuckled. He removed his mask and the Doctor stared at his face. The Artaxis were descended from a species of snake that had roamed the planet for millions of years. Over time, they had evolved into a humanoid form, but they still retained many characteristics of their ancestors. The warrior's yellow snake-like eyes regarded him coldly as his tongue flicked in and out of his mouth tasting the Doctor's scent.

"Who are you, mammal, that daressss to give orderssss to Sssthor of the Artaxissss?" he hissed.

"I am the Doctor."

"That meanssss nothing to me. I do not follow commandsssss from any warm bloodsssss." He said.

"You will follow this command, Sssthor of the Artaxis. The two women behind me are not to be harmed. If anything happens, it will happen to me."

Sssthor laughed.

"You are brave, warm blood; we will ssssee how brave you will be when we get through with you and your friendsssss!"

"My lord, what's going on? What does he mean?" Rose asked, terrified.

"It's alright, Rose." He said to them. "Nothing's going to happen to you or Martha."

He looked back at Sssthor.

"I know your culture and I know that your people are fond of blood sport." He said. "Therefore, I ask that I be offered a chance to fight for my freedom and the freedom of my friends. I ask for trial by combat."

Sssthor tilted his head.

"You and your friendsssss want to battle our Sssslithra for your freedom?" he asked.

"Not them. Just me." The Doctor said emphatically. "They will not be harmed in any way."

Sssthor laughed.

"That is for ussss to decide, Doctor." He said. "You have no ssssay here. You are our prissssoner and we can do whatever we want with you and your friendsssssss. If you wisssh to fight for your freedom, we will allow it, but be warned, Doctor, we will ssshow you no mercy."

"I don't expect you to." The Doctor replied. "Nor will I show you any mercy if you hurt my friends. Be warned Sssthor, I am not like any other prisoner you may have had. You and your people may find I'm quite a handful."

Sssthor laughed.

"Warm bloodsss, ssso boassstful, we ssshall sssee how ssstrong you are, Doctor, once the battle beginssss. Until then, you will ssstay here asss our prissssoner."

He turned and walked out. As the door slammed shut behind him, the Doctor turned to his companions.

"My lord, are you sure you're doing the right thing?" Martha asked.

The Doctor smiled at her.

"I know exactly what I'm doing, Martha, trust me."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The alternate Doctor paused and rested a moment. He had managed to get down the first dune and was now almost near the top of the second one and now he was nearly out of breath. The blazing sun made the sweat roll down his forehead and he regretted his decision to let his slaves choose where to take the Doctor. He cursed his double. He knew now that he had taken them back to his TARDIS and by the time he reached them, he would probably have the chips disabled and his pets back in his power.

He gritted his teeth as he pressed on. He couldn't let the weak fool get the upper hand. He would have his revenge and see his double dead at his feet.

He took a few more steps and gasped when hands burst out of the sand and grabbed him by the legs.

"Let go of me!" he screamed as he tried to break free.

He looked around him as the Artaxis warriors burst out of the sand and grabbed him.

"Let go of me, you fools, don't you know who I am?" he bellowed at them.

He grunted when he was punched in the head and he slumped over, unconscious. One of the warriors put the oxygen mask over his face, tied him to his body and once more all bent down and burrowed back into the sand.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor sat with Rose and Martha in their cell. He looked over and gave them a reassuring smile when he noticed they were talking fearfully to each other in hushed tones. Rose and Martha smiled back and the Doctor thanked Rassilon that he had been able to fool them into thinking he was his double. He didn't feel like fighting them, not when he had to conserve his strength for the battle ahead.

He looked over when the door opened and Sssthor rushed in followed by two more masked warriors. He stared at him for a moment and looked back at the others.

"He isss right here." He said pointing to the Doctor.

"But, we are telling you the truth, Sssthor," one of the warriors protested. "We jussst captured him again!"

The Doctor's ears perked up at that.

_Hmmm, apparently my double isn't as smart as he claims._ He thought to himself.

Sssthor walked over to the Doctor.

"My men have been telling me that they jussst captured you outssside on the dune." He said to him.

"Oh really, that's fascinating," he said playing dumb." but I've been right here since you and your friends brought me in so I really have no idea what you're talking about."

Sssthor looked at the other warriors.

"Bring the prisssoner here." He commanded them.

The warriors bowed their heads and left.

A few minutes later they returned holding the unconscious Doctor in their arms. Sssthor looked at him and looked at the Doctor sitting on the floor. His eyes went back and forth between them.

"Who issss thissss?" he said to the Doctor as he pointed to his double.

The Doctor shrugged.

"Dunno."

"But he lookssss exactly like you."

"You got me." The Doctor said shrugging. "Maybe he's my long lost twin or something."

Sssthor looked at the alternate Doctor.

"Leave him here until we can figure out what to do with him." He said to the warriors.

They brought him forward and dropped the alternate Doctor to the floor. The Doctor eyed him as Sssthor gestured to his warriors and all of them left the room.

The Doctor got to his feet and walked over to the alternate Doctor. He stood there for a moment thinking how easy it would be to kill him while he was lying at his feet unconscious. But, he wanted some answers from him first so he restrained himself.

"It is the imposter! We must kill him!"

The Doctor looked around when he heard Rose. He saw both of them coming towards the alternate Doctor. As much as he wanted the alternate Doctor to die for what he did to them, he couldn't let Rose and Martha kill someone in cold blood and taint their souls forever.

"Stop!" he said raising his hand to them. "You will not kill him!"

Rose stared at him confused.

"My lord, it's the imposter." She said pointing to the alternate Doctor. "You wanted us to kill him."

"I also commanded you to obey me and I tell you to stand down. I wish to speak to him myself before he dies."

The Doctor's hearts ached when he saw Rose and Martha bow their heads and step back. He hated himself for saying that to them, but he had to keep up the charade for the moment to protect them and himself. As Rose and Martha sat back down, the Doctor bent down to his double and turned him on his back. He began to slap his face.

"Come on," he hissed at him. "Wake up! I want some answers and I want them now!"

He slapped him hard across the face taking out some of the anger and frustration he felt. He smirked when the alternate Doctor's eyes fluttered open and he had to restrain himself from slapping him further.

The alternate Doctor's eye flew open when he noticed who was above him

"You!" he said quickly scooting back.

He noticed Rose and Martha sitting in the corner.

"Kill him!" he said pointing to the Doctor. "He is the imposter!"

"No!" the Doctor said pointing back to his double. "He is lying. He is the imposter!"

"I am not, you fool!" the alternate Doctor said to him.

He looked at Rose and Martha.

"Kill him! Your master commands you! Kill the imposter!"

"No! I am the Doctor! He is the imposter!" the Doctor said.

Rose and Martha sat on the floor, completely confused. They looked from one Doctor to the other unsure of what to do. The alternate Doctor let out a yell of frustration.

"You will pay for this!" he hissed at the Doctor.

He gasped when the Doctor seized him by the throat.

"No, it's you who will pay!" he said between gritted teeth. "You have messed with my friend's minds and that's a big no-no in my book!"

The alternate Doctor smirked at him.

"And it was so easy to do it." He said gleefully. "Humans are so thick; it takes no effort to control their minds. I probably didn't need the chip in the first place."

He gasped when the Doctor threw him to the floor and held him down by his throat.

"I offered you mercy and this is how you thank me!" the Doctor hissed at him. "I should have followed my first impulse and let them throw you in the disintegration chamber. When I get through with you, you will wish they had!"

He paused a moment and looked behind him at Rose and Martha who were still sitting on the floor. He looked back at the alternate Doctor.

"See that, I have you so-called slaves completely fooled." He said gleefully. "They think I'm you which is why they're just sitting there not doing anything. I could snap your neck and they wouldn't move a muscle."

"Then do it, Doctor." The alternate Doctor taunted. "Kill me. Be the Time Lord you were meant to be instead of the spineless coward that you are."

He gasped when the Doctor squeezed his throat.

"Don't call me a coward! I'm not the one who put chips in the head of two innocent women. If you were as brave and superior as you claim to be then you would have faced me head on instead of using Rose and Martha to assassinate me! You are the scum of two universes and it'll be a pleasure to end your miserable, useless life!"

"Then do it, Doctor, if you have the guts!"

The Doctor stared at him for a moment as the alternate Doctor smirked at him.

Suddenly, the door opened and Sssthor entered. A smile spread over the Doctor's face when he suddenly got an idea.

"Sssthor, I changed my mind about the trial by combat." He said leaning up.

"You do not wisssh to fight?" he asked him.

The Doctor smirked.

"Oh no, I wanna fight all right, but instead of fighting the Slithra, I want to fight…"

He stared down at his double.

"…Him!"


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

The alternate Doctor looked from Sssthor back to his double.

"What's going on?" he said angrily. "What do you mean fight me?"

"Oh, don't you know? The Artaxis love to pit their captives against other creatures and watch them battle to the death sorta like the Romans did. Normally, they have them battle the creatures native to this planet like the Slithra, and I was gonna do that, but now that you're here, I can win freedom for me and Rose and Martha and get back at you at the same time."

The alternate Doctor snorted.

"Assuming I want to fight you."

"Oh, I would do it if I were you, because the alternative will be a hundred times nastier and more painful." The Doctor replied.

He looked up at Sssthor.

"If I battle this man and win, I want freedom for me and my friends." He said.

Sssthor frowned.

"How will we know which one hasss won?" he said. "Both of you look alike."

The Doctor looked down at his double and smirked. He looked back at Sssthor.

"This man's right eye is false. It's a cybernetic eye." He said. "Take it out before we battle and then you'll be able to tell the difference."

The alternate Doctor wiggled out from under him.

"I will kill you first, Doctor!" he said.

The Doctor ducked and Rose and Martha screamed as a laser blast came out of his eye and hit the wall behind them. The alternate Doctor grunted when Sssthor came forward, grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and hauled him to his feet. He whipped a knife out and held it at his throat.

"Do that again and I will ssslit your neck." He hissed.

The Doctor looked around at Rose and Martha who were cowering in the corner. He silently thanked Rassilon that his double had missed them as he got to his feet.

"You see, he has a cybernetic eye." The Doctor said. "Disable it and take it out and then you can tell the difference between him and me."

Sssthor stared at the alternate Doctor for a moment and then smiled.

"No, I believe we will let him have it. It will make the contessst more interesssting."

The alternate Doctor smirked at his double's stunned expression.

"But, how will you be able to tell the difference between us?" the Doctor asked.

"It makesss no difference to usss who winsss, whoever livesss will be the winner." Sssthor said shrugging.

"Then, I want to make a request." The Doctor said thinking quickly. "If he gets to keep his eye, I want my sonic screwdriver returned to me."

Sssthor frowned.

"Your what?" he said.

"My sonic screwdriver. The little device that was taken from me when I was captured. I want it back."

"No! Don't give it to him." The alternate Doctor said quickly.

The Doctor folded his arms over his chest.

"If you can use your cybernetic eye, I can use my screwdriver." He said. "Otherwise, I will not go through with this contest."

"What difference doessss it make to usss if you don't go through with the contessst?" Sssthor asked.

The Doctor grinned.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want to pass up a chance to see two warm bloods battle it out." He said. "Especially two warm bloods that look exactly alike. Come on, aren't you curious to see which one of us will win?"

Sssthor looked at him and his double. He looked out the door at a guard standing nearby.

"The Doctor'ssss device. Retrieve it and bring it here."

"Yessss, Sssthor." The guard replied.

The Doctor chuckled at the horrified look on his double's face.

"What's wrong, you look nervous." He said quietly. "Why is that? After all, my screwdriver can't kill you or harm you in any way."

He smirked.

"Or are you nervous because you've guessed the real reason why I want it?" he said.

"You may have them back for the moment." The alternate Doctor said. "But, I will kill you in this silly contest of yours and they will be back in my power."

"We shall see."

He looked over and smiled when the guard came into the room carrying the sonic screwdriver in his hand. Sssthor looked at it and looked at him.

"Isss thisss it?" he said pointing to it.

"Yup, that's the one."

Sssthor took it from the guard and gave it to the Doctor. The alternate Doctor tried to make a grab for it, but Sssthor tightened his grip around his body as the Doctor quickly backed away.

"Now, if you don't mind, I want to prepare for the battle and I can't do that properly with my opponent in the room." The Doctor said. "Would you mind taking him somewhere else?"

Sssthor looked at Martha and Rose.

"What about them?" Sssthor asked.

"Take them away too!" the alternate Doctor yelled.

The Doctor grinned.

"They're not bothering me. Leave them here." He said airily.

The alternate Doctor glared at his double.

"I will have them back, Doctor, make no mistake." He snarled as Sssthor pulled him towards the door.

The Doctor yawned and waved at him as he fought to break free of the Artaxis' grip. He waited a moment as Sssthor pulled the struggling Time Lord out of the room and when he had closed the door behind them, he looked at his sonic screwdriver.

"Mmmwah," he said kissing it. "Great to have you back little buddy! I missed ya!"

He looked over at Rose and Martha and gave them a gentle smile as he walked over. He knelt over beside Rose and put his arm around her.

"My lord, what are you doing?" she asked fearfully.

He put his hand against her cheek.

"It's alright, Rose, I'm going to make things a lot clearer for you and Martha. Just hold still. This won't hurt a bit." He said.

He turned her head and held the screwdriver up to the incision. He turned it on and let it linger there for a moment.

"You're free, my love." He whispered in her ear when he finished.

Rose blinked for a moment in confusion as the Doctor moved past her to Martha. As he squatted down beside Martha's body, Rose looked around at her surroundings.

"Wha...where am I?" she said slowly.

The Doctor finished disabling the chip in Martha's head and moved back around to Rose. Rose's eyes widened and she began to back away.

"No, it's me, Rose." He said grabbing her hand.

She and Martha both stared at him fearfully.

"How...how can we be sure it's really you?" Rose said as Martha nodded in agreement.

He smiled as he leaned in close.

"Do you remember the day we met, my love?" he asked. "It was in Henrick's department store. The Autons were about to kill you and I took your hand and told you to run."

He winked at her.

"And we've been running ever since, haven't we?"

"Doctor." Rose said softly. "Oh, my sweet Doctor, it is you."

He smiled lovingly at her and looked at Martha.

"And the day we met, Ms. Jones, I seem to recall I was barefoot on the moon with a platoon of Judoon."

Martha smiled and nodded. Both of them threw their arms around him. He held them tightly and kissed both their cheeks, happy to have his girl's minds restored to them.

"Doctor, what's happened to us? The last thing I remember was being inside the other Doctor's TARDIS and watching him press a red button on this little silver box he had." Rose said. "Where are we? Are we still inside his TARDIS?"

The Doctor shook his head.

"No, we're on the planet Aradia and we've been captured by a race of snake people called the Artaxis. The other Doctor is here as well, they just took him to another cell. And, I'm about to battle him to the death in front of the Artaxis for our freedom."

He took their hands when he saw the anguished look in their eyes.

"Don't worry, I'll be alright, I promise." He said. "I'm more than a match for him."

He held them close and smiled when they kissed both his cheeks. He closed his eyes when they laid their heads against his. Even though his life was in peril, he had his angels back, so that was one less thing he had to worry about now.

"What will they do with us?" Rose asked leaning her head up. "Are we going to fight with you?"

The Doctor looked at her.

"No, this is between him and me."

"But, what if you need our help?" Martha asked.

He looked at Martha.

"I won't, and even if I do, I won't ask you to risk your lives. I want the two of you safe while I'm fighting. I'll be able to concentrate on the battle if I know you're both out of harm's way."

He held them tightly.

"I love you both so much." He said. "If I know you're there giving me your love and support, I will be able to kick his arse without breaking a sweat."

They wrapped his arms back around him and held onto him letting him feel all the love and support they could muster up. The Doctor nuzzled them both and sighed contentedly. His double had no idea how good it felt to have people who loved and cared for you and wanted to protect you from danger, even if it meant they would die in the process.

Knowing that they would be supporting him one hundred percent gave him all the confidence he would need to do what he had to do. He wouldn't trade the love of his girls for anything.

The door opened and all of them looked up as Sssthor entered the room. Both Rose and Martha gasped and the Doctor tightened his arms around them, calming them. He knew how terrifying it was for them to mentally wake up after having their minds taken over and controlled and then find themselves in a strange room, facing a snake man who was going to make them watch as he fought his double to the death. He knew how anguished they would be watching him fight in the arena, but he preferred to have them close where he could see them and make sure that no one was hurting them in any way.

"Come, my angels," he whispered. "It's time."

They hugged each other tight and Rose and Martha gave him one last kiss on his cheeks. Then, standing as one, they took each other's hands and followed Sssthor out of the room.


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Sssthor led the three captives down a long stone corridor. As they walked, Rose and Martha looked around them.

"Doctor, these Artaxis, you said they lived in the desert, yeah?" Rose asked looking at him.

"Yes, well, under the desert to be precise." He replied.

Martha looked at him.

"We're underground?" she said.

The Doctor nodded.

The Artaxis live underground like their snake ancestors did. This compound wasn't built by them though. Aradia used to be a lush, fertile planet eons ago, but there was a planetary shift and the entire planet heated up killing most of the life on the planet. Those creatures that did survive moved underground to get away from the heat, including a race of humans who built this compound in an attempt to survive. But, when the planet's resources dried up, they eventually succumbed to hunger and thirst and died out. The Artaxis evolved into a humanoid form and took over this place, regulating its temperature to suit their needs. That's also why they wear the outfits. The humanoid bodies they have aren't adapted well enough to gather all the heat they need from the sun like snakes do, so they keep their body temperature regulated with the outfits so they don't need to be up in the punishing heat for hours on end.

"And they like to watch other creatures battle each other in an arena?" Martha asked.

The Doctor shrugged.

"Reptiles are not known for their mercy and compassion." He said. "They have far worse torments than this, trust me. Out of all the things I could have picked from, I have the best chance of escaping alive from the arena. Everything else they have is basically some form of torture that they continue relentlessly until you die. And it's not just outsiders that are forced to battle in the arena. They throw their criminals in there as well as their weak and sick or sometimes they just get bored and pick two to go at it. Like I said, it's just like the Romans."

He squeezed Rose and Martha's hands when he noticed them looking at one another with fear.

"How do you know they'll let us go if you win?" Rose asked. "How can you be sure they won't just throw us in after you and make us fight something?"

"Because I will force them to let us go." The Doctor said softly. "And if they know what's good for them, they'll do it."

They turned a corner and noticed a huge door at the end of the hallway. The Doctor gave his girl's hands another squeeze and they walked quietly behind Sssthor. They paused at the closed door and Sssthor turned to look at them.

"The arena isss in here." He said pointing to the door.

"What about Rose and Martha. Where will they go?" the Doctor asked.

"They will come with me."

Rose and Martha moved closer to the Doctor.

"How do I know they will be safe with you?"

"I give you my word."

The Doctor smirked.

"Artaxis aren't known to keep their word, especially with outsiders."

"I assssure you they will not be harmed." Sssthor said.

The Doctor sighed not totally convinced of that, but he had no choice. He had to let Rose and Martha go with him or else they would be forced to fight with him in the arena and he wasn't about to let that happen.

"I want to follow you and see where you take them." He said. "I want to make sure they are alright before the battle begins."

Sssthor narrowed his eyes.

"You asssk a lot for ssssomeone who isss a prisssoner." He hissed.

"I told you, I'm not like any prisoner you've ever had. I am not used to being pushed around nor will I let you or anyone else do so. These two women are my life and I will make sure they are safely out of the way before I fight. And when I say safely out of the way, it does not mean you can throw them in the arena later when my back is turned. You will keep them away from any danger and they will be within my sight at all times, otherwise I will come after you and you will be the next one I battle. Is that clear?"

Sssthor glared at the Doctor who stared back at him calmly.

Sssthor let out a hissing sigh.

"Very well, warm blood; I will accept your demandssss. They will not be harmed in any way."

"Thank you." The Doctor replied.

Sssthor opened the door and the Doctor gave Rose and Martha's hands another squeeze when they saw the huge arena before them. In the stands sat hundreds of Artaxis warriors and Rose swallowed when she saw all the cold, yellow eyes watching them intently.

"Thissss way." Sssthor said beckoning to them.

As he walked into the arena, a deafening cheer filled the air and the Artaxis warriors pumped their fists as Sssthor led them over to the wall. He gestured to a guard who came forward.

"Open the door. I am taking thesssse prissssonerssss over to my ssssseat." He said pointing to a platform a few feet up in the stands.

"Sssthor, are you sssure that'ssss wissse?" the guard said eyeing the prisoners warily.

"Nothing will happen. The combatant only wissshessss to make hisss femalesss comfortable before he beginssss." Sssthor said pointing to the Doctor. "Now open up."

The guard nodded and unlocked the door. Sssthor pulled back a part of the wall and beckoned for his three captives to follow him. The Doctor put his arms around Rose and Martha's backs and they climbed the steps as Artaxis warriors on either side of the steps stared at them in silence. Rose drew near to the Doctor trying not look at the yellow eyes that followed her every move. They stopped when they were level with the platform and walked in front of several warriors who murmured and hissed among themselves as they watched them. They reached the platform and the Doctor looked at the huge stone chair sitting in the middle of it.

"Your femalessss can sssit on the floor." He said pointing to the space beside the chair.

The Doctor nodded.

"Do as he says." He said gently to Rose and Martha.

They looked at each other and threw their arms around him. He pulled them close and hugged them tightly ignoring the snickers of the warriors around them.

"Doctor, please be careful." Rose begged.

He smiled.

"I will." He said.

He looked at them for a moment as he rubbed their backs. He glanced down at Rose's leg and noticed the pink socks she was wearing.

"Rose, "he said staring at the sock. "Do me an enormous favor."

"Yes, Doctor?"

He grinned at her.

"Take one of your socks off and tie it on my arm."

Rose frowned.

"Why?"

"So, you won't lose track of me during the battle. I want to be sure my girls are cheering for the right Doctor." He said.

Rose smiled. She bent down and quickly took off her shoe.

The Doctor looked over and saw Martha was doing the same thing. She looked up at him and saw his confusion.

"In case something happens to her sock." She explained.

The Doctor smiled and nodded. Rose pulled off her pink sock and Martha pulled off one of her black socks. They tied a sock around each arm.

"Ah! I feel like the knights of old who wore the colors of their ladies into battle." He said.

He wrinkled his nose and made a face.

"Phew, you two need to put some foot powder in your shoes from here on out." He said.

"Oh shut up!" Rose said as the Doctor snickered.

He gave them one last hug.

"Now sit back and enjoy the butt kicking I'm gonna give my double." He said.

He kissed them both on the head. Rose and Martha sat down and watched as he walked back through the crowd whistling cheerfully.

"Evenin'." He said to the warriors as he passed by them. "Nice to see you here. Welcome to my battle. Try the fried lizards, I hear they're delightful!"

He paused when he noticed a child sitting by his parent.

"Oh, out for a night with the kids, are ya? Yup, nothing like watching two men kill each other to bring the whole family closer together, eh?"

"Move along!" the guard yelled at him.

"Sorry, love to stay and chat with you and junior, but I gotta go rip someone's hearts out, cheers!"

He moved along ignoring the warrior's angry hiss. Reaching the steps, he started down them. He paused after a couple of steps when he noticed a warrior glaring at him.

"You know, if you keep making that face, it'll stay that way."

He dodged when the warrior snapped at him.

"I'm just saying..." he said looking back at him as he continued down the steps.

Reaching the door, he smiled at the guard who was holding it open for him.

"Thank you, Jeeves." He said nodding at him.

He hurried through the door and out onto the arena floor as the guard quickly closed and locked it. He walked a few feet towards the center, turned and looked up at the crowd. He smiled and waved at Rose and Martha who waved back. He cleared his throat.

"OKAY, EVERYONE, GIVE ME A D!" he yelled.

The only sound in the arena was two female voices screaming back "D!" He frowned as he feigned confusion.

"Come on, everyone, join in! Then, after that, we can all do the wave and then the Macarena!" he said stretching out his arms. "Now everyone with me! Give me an S!"

"S!" Rose and Martha yelled back as everyone else remained silent.

The Doctor stared at the crowd for a moment and then shrugged.

"Give me a T!" he yelled up to Rose and Martha.

"T!" they yelled back.

"Give me a U!"

"U!"

"Give me a D!"

"D!"

He held his hand to his ear.

"What does that spell?"

"Incredibly massive ego!" Rose yelled.

He glared at Rose as she and Martha giggled. He grinned when he noticed all the other warriors staring at one another in confusion.

"Hmmm, apparently they don't do crowd chants on this planet." He muttered to himself. "What a pity. No wonder they're all angry and hostile. No team spirit."

He cleared his throat, thrust his arms into the air and began to dance around.

"RA RA SIS BOOM BA, DOCTOR, DOCTOR, RA RA RA!" he chanted.

He stopped and noticed the crowd was still glaring at him.

"Come on, I'm just trying to liven things up!" he said. "Obviously it's taking forever and a day to get my double out here so I'm giving you all some entertainment in the meantime and I won't stop entertaining you until I see him. Now...carrying on..."

He cleared his throat and began to sing.

I BELIEVE THAT CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE...

TEACH THEM WELL AND LET THEM LEAD THE WAY...

SHOW THEM ALL THE BEAUTY...

He stopped short and looked over when he heard the door opening on the other side. He pouted when he saw the alternate Doctor walking into the arena.

"Ah bollocks, I was all set to serenade ya!" he said to the crowd.

He shrugged.

"Ah well, business before pleasure, I guess."

He smirked when the alternate Doctor stopped and stared at him.

"Let the games begin." He muttered to himself.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

The Doctor strode over to his double.

"Well, well, bout time you got out here. What'd you do, fall in the loo or something?"

The alternate Doctor rolled his eyes. He looked down at his arms and stared at the socks. The Doctor followed his gaze and grinned at him.

"Like my fashion accessories?" he said to him. "My girls put them on me, so they'll be able to tell who is who."

He leaned in.

"Oh, and by the way, they know who I am now." He said. "Observe."

He looked up at Rose and Martha and waved at them. They waved back.

"Hey, guys, who am I?" he asked them.

"The Doctor!" they yelled in unison.

He pointed to the alternate Doctor.

"Who's he?" he yelled at them.

"The asshole prick!" Rose yelled back.

"Spot on, Tyler! That's ten points for you!" the Doctor said as Rose and Martha giggled.

He looked back at the alternate Doctor.

"See, I got our identities all sorted out now."

"You won't think this is so funny when I get through with you." The alternate Doctor said. "By the time this battle is over, you'll be begging me to put you out of your misery."

The Doctor stared at him for a moment and then looked up at Rose.

"Hey, weren't you the one who said I had an incredibly massive ego? Because, I think you made a mistake and thought I was my double again for a moment."

"Yeah, you're right, Doctor. My bad." Rose said shrugging. "It's so hard to keep track of the two of ya!"

Rose glanced at the alternate Doctor who was glaring at her and waved.

"Enjoy your freedom while it lasts, ape," he said to her. "Once your boyfriend is dispatched, you will be back in my power again."

The Doctor giggled when she flipped him off.

"I will make her suffer, Doctor. I will show your doggies no mercy once I get through with you."

The Doctor narrowed his eyes.

"Then, come and get me if you think you can." He said.

They started towards one another. Suddenly, the door behind the Doctor opened and both of them turned to look as three guards entered carrying two shields and an assortment of weapons.

"Oh so we do get weapons?" the Doctor said. "Oh, that's good, for a moment I thought we were just supposed to rip each other to pieces with our bare hands."

He waved to one of the guards.

"Bring that sword and shield over here if you'd be so kind!" he yelled to him.

The guard ignored him. He and his friends walked past them and dumped the weapons in a heap several feet away.

"What? You mean we have to go get them ourselves?" the Doctor yelled at them. "How rude!"

He looked at the alternate Doctor.

"Reptiles, no manners at all."

The alternate Doctor sighed and rolled his eyes.

They watched as the guards turned and silently walked back out of the arena. The door closed behind them and both Doctors stood for a moment waiting. Then, suddenly, the Doctor sprinted over to the pile of weapons. The alternate Doctor let out a yell and followed him. He gasped when the alternate Doctor tackled him a few feet from the weapons and let out a grunt when he decked him. He gritted his teeth when the alternate Doctor got back up making sure to tread on his hand in the process. The Doctor made a grab for his leg, but he quickly sidestepped him and ran the remaining feet to the cache of weapons. He snatched up a sword and got in front of the arsenal as the Doctor leaped to his feet.

The Doctor gasped and quickly jumped out of the way when the alternate Doctor shot a laser beam out of his eye. He quickly ducked and dodged as the alternate Doctor laughed and continued to shoot at him with the laser.

"Keep it up, Doctor," he yelled. "Soon you will become too tired to dodge my laser and then I will destroy you!"

He ran around the arena as the alternate Doctor kept up his assault. As, he ran, the Doctor timed the shots. Finally, he saw his chance. The alternate Doctor fired another beam at him and with lightning quick speed; he sidestepped it and rammed his head straight into the alternate Doctor's chest. The alternate Doctor reeled back and fell over the weapons. The Doctor picked up one of the metal shields. He ducked down behind it as his double fired a laser beam at him. The beam ricocheted off the shield and the alternate Doctor had just enough time to turn his body as the beam bounced back into the dirt beneath him. He turned back and grunted when the Doctor took the shield and smacked it across the side of the Doctor's head. While his double was momentarily dazed, he fell on him and used his screwdriver to disable the laser.

"There, that takes care of your little toy!" he said to him.

He grunted when the alternate Doctor kicked him off of his body. The Doctor scrambled to the pile and pulled out a sword. He held it over his body just as the alternate Doctor brought his sword down for a deadly blow and the two swords met with a resounding clang. The Doctor used his feet to kick his double back and scrambled to his feet. The alternate Doctor tried to slice at his body and the Doctor blocked his strike. As they pushed their swords against each other, the alternate Doctor quickly dipped down, picked up the other shield and pushed him back with his sword. Swords clanged against swords and against shields as the two combatants fought like lions. As they kept up their attack, the crowd roared and hissed its approval and Martha and Rose sat beside one another watching their Doctor nervously. As the Doctor struggled to overpower his double, Rose looked over and saw Sssthor was whispering something to one of the guards. The guard nodded and quickly hurried off as Sssthor turned back to the action. Rose kept her eye on the guard and watched as another guard opened the door to the arena and he ran across it to the side door. She glanced at Martha who had her eyes riveted to the Doctor. She tapped Martha on the shoulder and she looked at her.

"Sssthor's up to something. He just said something to one of his men and he ran through that door." She said pointing to the side door.

Martha looked up at Sssthor who was busy watching the battle. She looked back at Rose.

"It can't be good." She said to Rose.

Rose nodded.

"Yeah, I have a feeling he's going against the Doctor's wishes." She said.

Their worst fears were confirmed when the side door opened and the crowd roared with excitement as a twenty foot Slithra slithered into the arena. Both combatants paused and stared at it in stunned silence. The Doctor looked up at Sssthor, enraged.

"We had a deal!" he bellowed up at him.

Sssthor shrugged.

"You ssssaid yoursssself, Doctor, my kind are not men of their wordsssss." He yelled back to him.

The Doctor narrowed his eyes at him. He glanced at Rose and Martha and they could tell he was wondering if he was going to throw them into the arena next. Reluctantly, he turned his attention back to the Slithra who had spotted both Doctors and was making a beeline for them. Both Doctors raise their shields and swords and tensed their bodies as the Slithra hissed and opened its jaws revealing its massive fangs that glistened with venom. The Doctor looked at his double.

"Go that way!" he said gesturing with his sword.

"What?" the alternate Doctor said.

"Split up! Confuse it so it won't know who to attack!" the Doctor yelled at him.

The alternate Doctor narrowed his eyes at him; he glanced back at the Slithra who was coming right for them and ran off to his right. The Doctor headed to his left and the Slithra paused. It looked at both of them torn between which one it wanted to pursue. It finally decided on the Doctor and Rose and Martha gasped as they watched it slither after him. The alternate Doctor paused and watched, amused, as his double ran away from the serpent.

"Excellent plan, my dimwitted double!" he yelled at him. "Thanks for being the bait! Have fun with the beast! I'm gonna rest here and watch you!"

The Doctor suddenly doubled back and ran straight for his twin. The alternate Doctor's eyes widened and he began to run with the Doctor as the Slithra closed in on them both.

"You were saying something about a rest?" the Doctor yelled at him.

"I'll get you for this!" the alternate Doctor screamed back at him.

The Doctor glanced back and saw the Slithra pause and quickly coil its body as it prepared to strike. He leaped out of the way as the Serpent tried to bite him, its fangs narrowly missing the Doctor's body. As he leaped up, he noticed Rose and Martha staring at the scene, terrified, and he managed a small smile before turning and confronting the Slithra who was coiling for another strike. The alternate Doctor paused several feet away and watched with glee as the Doctor dodged the beast when it tried to grab him again.

The Doctor wiped the sweat that was running off his brow into his eyes. He was nearing exhaustion. He knew that soon he would be too tired to fight and then the Slithra would kill him. He had to make a stand. Ignoring his double who was cheering on the serpent, he raised his sword and shield and readied himself as the Slithra reared its head and prepared to make another grab for him. He held his ground watching the serpent with a calculating gaze as it paused for a moment. Then, suddenly it reared forward, the Doctor stood still for a moment and at the last moment, it sidestepped the beast and ran its sword through its left eye. The Slithra hissed in pain and quickly recoiled from the Doctor as the crowd cheered. It slithered back away from him and the Doctor wiped more sweat from his face.

"No! Get your hands off me!"

The Doctor spun around and his blood ran cold when he saw a guard shoving Rose into the arena and locking the door behind her.

He looked up at Sssthor who was laughing and holding Martha by her arm as she tried to get to her friend.

"DAMN YOU!" the Doctor roared at him.

Then, suddenly, he saw the Slithra slide past him enticed by the new prey as she fought the guard at the door trying to get back over the wall.

"Rose!" the Doctor screamed, raising his sword and running after the serpent, trying to get to his beloved before the Slithra made her his meal.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

"Rose! Watch out!" the Doctor screamed.

Rose turned and gasped when she saw the Slithra barreling down on her. Forgetting the guard, she ran to her left as the Doctor pushed himself to the limit trying to get between her and the serpent. Rose glanced back and her eyes widened when she saw the Slithra was nearly on her. The crowd cheered the serpent and jeered her as she turned sharply to her right hoping to confuse the beast. She looked back and cursed under her breath when she saw the snake was still following her. She glanced to her right and turned towards the Doctor who was running straight for her.

"Jump out of the way!" he yelled at her.

"Doctor!" Rose gasped.

"Do it, Rose, trust me!" the Doctor yelled.

Rose nodded. Grunting, she hurled her body to the right as the Doctor raised his sword and threw it at the Slithra. It struck halfway up his massive body and the Slithra raised the front half of its body into the air hissing in rage as the Doctor ran to Rose. He helped her to her feet and they quickly ran towards the weapons as the injured Slithra tried to pursue them. They were nearing the cache when the alternate Doctor stepped in front of it and slashed at them with his sword. The Doctor and Rose both stepped back and with a yell of rage, he turned and pulled Rose with him. They ran towards the far side of the arena as the Slithra turned and gave chase. As they ran towards the locked door, the Doctor glanced over and saw that Martha was still on the platform with Sssthor. He silently thanked Rassilon that he hadn't chucked her into the arena, he felt his strength fading and he didn't know if he would have the strength to be able to go back and get Martha if Sssthor decided to throw her in. He looked over at Rose and noticed she was beginning to tire. He squeezed her hand and gave her a loving look when she looked his way. Rose smiled at him and put on a fresh burst of speed just as determined as he was not to die in the arena.

They reached the door and the Doctor whipped out his sonic screwdriver preparing to unlock it.

"Doctor!"

The Doctor looked around and saw the serpent had stopped and was preparing to strike.

"Get behind me, Rose!" he screamed at her as he put his screwdriver back in his pocket.

Rose obeyed and the Doctor raised the shield as the Slithra lunged.

The Doctor grunted and Rose let out a pained yell when the Slithra's head hit the shield and pushed them both into the heavy wooden door. The crowd cheered as the Doctor quickly glanced behind him.

"You okay?" he said.

Rose nodded and the Doctor turned his attention back to the snake as it coiled up for another go at them.

"Doctor, we can't keep this up forever." Rose said to him.

"Hold on, there's got to be a way out. We just need to think of it!" The Doctor said to her.

Blinking away the sweat, he held up his shield and they both ducked behind it as the Slithra lunged. They gasped when its fangs hit the shield and penetrated it narrowly missing the Doctor's arm. He gasped as the snake reared back taking the shield with him. The Doctor reached behind and put his hands on Rose's sides trying to shield her with his body while the serpent shook its head furiously trying to dislodge the shield.

"Oh my Doctor, I love you so much." Rose said to him. "If we die, I'm glad I'm going with you."

The Doctor glanced behind him, smiled at her, and nodded. He looked back and saw that the Slithra had finally gotten the shield off its fangs and was preparing to strike again. He glanced over at its body and his eyes narrowed when he saw his sword still embedded in its body. He looked back at Rose.

"I love you, Rose." He said.

She gasped when the Doctor suddenly took off running towards the sword. The Slithra paused for a moment, confused, while the Doctor ran past it. Rose screamed as it reared up and lunged at him. He leaped over the serpent's body grabbing the sword in his right hand at the same time. Turning, he quickly jumped back over the body with sword raised, hacking off the Slithra's head when it tried to grab him. There was a deafening silence as the headless body fell to the ground and the Artaxis warriors stared at the scene, dumbstruck. The Doctor gasped, taking air into his lungs, and began to walk back to Rose clutching the sword at his side. Reaching her, he fell to his knees and embraced her, holding her close while she sobbed with relief. He closed his eyes as he lowered his sweat-covered head to hers.

"Oh my love, my love." She murmured softly running her hand back along his damp hair.

He kissed her tenderly on the top of the head. He glanced over at his double and smirked when he noticed the stunned look on his face. Putting his arm around Rose, he helped her to stand and with his sword raised, they walked over to him as the crowd, anticipating more bloodshed, let out another cheer. The alternate Doctor raised his sword and shield readying himself, but the Doctor stopped himself and Rose a few feet away.

"Surrender." The Doctor said to him.

"Excuse me?" the alternate Doctor replied.

"Surrender to me, and help us to escape, and I'll spare your life. Because I guarantee you, if you don't, I will do to you what I did to that snake and I'll make sure to pierce both your hearts as well so you can't regenerate. Now help us get out of here before it gets worse!"

"I'd rather die than help you!" he spat out.

The Doctor sighed angrily.

"Are you listening to me, idiot? They are not gonna let us walk out of here until one of us dies."

The alternate Doctor raised his sword.

"Then, you will be the one to die."

Rose put her hand on the sword's hilt directly under the Doctor's hand.

"I won't let you do that." She said. "I'll kill you if you hurt him!"

The alternate Doctor snorted at her.

"Don't make me laugh, ape!" he said.

"Oh, believe me; this woman could kill you if she wanted." The Doctor said. "So, I advise you not to underestimate her because that's what the Dalek Emperor did and now he's a bunch of molecules floating through space."

He gestured up to the warriors who were grumbling at the lack of action.

"See them, they won't let us go. Sssthor broke his word when he let that Slithra in here and threw Rose into the ring and I'm willing to bet he won't let any of us leave here alive. So, if you don't want to be flayed alive and watch as your flesh is fed to the Slithra, I suggest teaming up against him."

"I will, if you give me Rose."

"P'eh, you must really think I'm dim if I'm gonna agree to that!" the Doctor said.

"I assume you wanna get out of here too, don't you?" the alternate Doctor said. "Well, I don't do anything for free unless I'm forced to and if I have to help the likes of you, I want compensation for it. Give me Rose and I'll let you have Martha."

"Why do you want her? You don't even like apes, remember?" the Doctor said.

"Ah, but I've grown quite fond of your pet. She is very beautiful for a human and I can always use a lovely slave around the TARDIS, so if you let me have her, I will help you fight."

"Never!"

"Okay then, give me Martha and I'll let you keep Rose. She's not your lover, so you could afford to lose her."

"How about this, you help me and I let you live. How's that for compensation?" the Doctor said angrily.

"What and take me back to Gallifrey again?"

"Yup."

"You know if you take me back there, they'll kill me."

"Not my problem. I vouched for you once and saved you from the death chamber and you turned around, kidnapped my girls and tried to make them kill me. I don't give a damn what they do to you now. All I'm concerned with is getting you out of my hair once and for all!"

"Sorry, no deal then." The alternate Doctor said shrugging.

"Fine, have it your way." The Doctor replied, sighing. "I'm tired and I have no time to argue with you."

He looked at Rose.

"Come on, we can take em on our own. I wanna get out of here even if brainless doesn't."

They began to walk away when the alternate Doctor stepped in front of them.

"I won't let either of you leave here alive!" he said holding his sword out.

The Doctor rolled his eyes.

"Uh-huh, and say you kill all of us. Then what? You think two hundred Artaxis warriors will just let you waltz out the front door? Kill us, and you're as good as dead."

"What makes you think the four of us will be able to defeat them?"

"I'm not sure if we can, but I know the odds will be slightly better than if it were just you." He said. "And if I'm gonna die; I'd rather go down fighting. So, like I said, you wanna fight with us, fine. Otherwise, stand back and let us pass."

The alternate Doctor glanced up at the warriors who were now hissing angrily and pointing at them.

"Your funeral." He said standing back.

"Coward." The Doctor spat out.

He looked at Rose.

"Come on, Rose, time for real heroes to step up to the plate!"

"You got it." Rose said.

They took each other's hands and walked towards Sssthor who was staring at them warily.

"Sssthor," the Doctor said as he and Rose stopped just in front of the wall. "I have fought in your little contest and I have triumphed. I demand the reward you promised my friends and me. Let us go now or face the consequences!"


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Martha glanced up at Sssthor as he stared at the Doctor and Rose silently.

"Did you hear me, Sssthor, we want our freedom." The Doctor said.

Sssthor pointed over to the alternate Doctor.

"He issss ssstill alive. You have not finsssshed fighting." He said.

"On the contrary, I am very much done. You broke your word when you let that Slithra in the ring and endangered my friend. That invalidates the terms of the contest which means if I wanna walk out the door right now with my women, I can do so."

"How will you get passsst usssss, Doctor?" Sssthor said gesturing to the warriors around him.

He gasped when Martha suddenly jumped up, grabbed his knife and held it to his throat. The Doctor grinned.

"Well, gee, I guess if we don't get safe passage outta here, you die." He said shrugging.

Sssthor looked up at Martha.

"I warn you, warm blood, my men will sssshow you and your friendsssss no mercy!"

Martha shrugged.

"Well, they'd show us no mercy anyhow so I guess me and my friends have nothing to lose by doing this, do we?"

"Martha, look out!" Rose yelled.

Martha glanced behind her and saw a couple of Artaxis warriors creeping up on her. She pressed the knife to Sssthor's throat.

"Tell them to back off or you die!" she said to them.

"Stand down!" Sssthor said.

The warriors looked at him for a moment and then backed up.

"Now, you're coming with me and you're gonna lead us outta here safely or else." Martha said to Sssthor.

"Or elssssse what, warm blood?"

"Or else I decapitate you like I did your friend over there." The Doctor said gesturing back to the Slithra. "Now obey my friend or face my wrath!"

Sssthor glanced up at Martha. Slowly, he got to his feet as Martha held the knife near his throat.

"You haven't the gutssss to kill me, warm blood." He said to her.

"Wanna bet?" Martha said trying to sound as confident as she could.

Sssthor stared at her for a moment and then slowly walked forward towards the steps. Martha kept her eyes on the crowd half expecting them to jump up and get her while the Doctor and Rose walked to the door in the wall.

"Open it!" the Doctor said showing the guard the sword.

The guard opened the door and stepped back as the Doctor and Rose climbed up to meet Martha. He pointed his sword at Sssthor's throat.

"Now, be a good little reptile and lead us out!" he said to him.

"You'll never esssscape, Doctor." He said to him.

The Doctor put the point of his sword against Sssthor's throat.

"Anything happens to me or my friends; you will die even if it means I run you through with my dying breath." He said. "Now move!"

Sssthor glared at him. He walked down the steps as Martha and Rose held their weapons at his back. Martha looked around at the Artaxis warriors who were sitting quietly watching their every step.

"I can't believe they aren't attacking us." Martha said. "Why are they just sitting there?"

"I suspect part of it is they're intimidated by the fact that I was able to escape the ring alive." He said. "I doubt if no one else has attempted the feat let alone a mammal. Also, when Artaxis choose a leader, they elect him for life because when he dies there are a lot of would-be candidates who try to take his place and a lot of prolonged battling and bloodshed occurs as they decide who is the alpha male, so to speak. It's all very messy and bloody and time consuming especially if there are a lot of candidates, not to mention it depletes the ranks severely, so once someone is chosen they make damn sure that nothing happens to them if they can help it. Believe me, Martha; you did exactly the right thing by threatening him. It's probably the one thing that will allow us to walk out of here in one piece."

He glanced back at the warriors who were hissing angrily at them.

"Having said that, I think it best we get away from here as fast as we can. Just because they are afraid to attack now doesn't mean they won't keep an eye on us and strike at the first opportunity. We have to be quick getting back to the TARDIS and…"

He was cut short when he saw his double walking up to them.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm going with you."

The Doctor raised his eyebrow.

"Oh, so you don't want to put your life on the line to get out of here, but the moment I've gotten the go-ahead to leave, you come swanning up wanting an escort. I don't think so!"

"I thought you wanted to take me back to Gallifrey." The alternate Doctor sneered.

"Well, I did, but I have a better idea."

He looked back at the warriors.

"Hey, you guys want someone to take your anger and frustration out on? Come and get him!"

He heard Rose gasp, turned his head and saw that the alternate Doctor had his arm around her and was holding the sword to her neck.

"You will take me with you or she dies!" he said. "And don't think I'm not serious because I'll snap her neck in a…"

He let out a pained yell as Rose mashed her foot down on his. He let go of his hold on her and she kicked him in the knee and wrenched the sword out of his hand.

"Don't…do that again." She hissed at him as he bent over holding his aching knee.

The Doctor chuckled as she calmly walked back to his side.

"You were saying?" the Doctor said.

The alternate Doctor tried to lunge at him, but was stopped short when Rose and Martha both stepped in front of him and pointed their weapons at him.

The Doctor smirked at his double.

"Beware of dogs, eh?" he said.

Rose and Martha glared back at him.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" he said to them.

He poked Sssthor in the back with his sword.

"Now, before we get going, order some of your men to grab this sod here so we don't have to put up with him tagging along."

"You're gonna let them kill me?" the alternated Doctor said.

"Yeah, I am."

"Then, you're no better than I am."

The Doctor sighed.

"Whatever, I have no time to get into another who's the better Time Lord debate. I'm in a hurry. Now…order your men to grab him!"

"You in front, grab thissss man!" Sssthor said looking back at his warriors in the front row.

The Doctor smirked as his double's eyes widened in fear and he took off running across the arena.

"Ah, much better!" he said watching as several warriors gave chase. "And now that the little headache is occupied..."

He poked the sword in Sssthor's back.

"Move, scaly, or I run you through!" he said.

As they hurried away, the Doctor looked over and saw his double had picked up another spear and was killing his pursuers.

"Let's move…" the Doctor said to Rose and Martha.

He jabbed the sword in Sssthor's back and to his relief, he sped up.

"Rose, open the door." He said tossing her the sonic screwdriver.

She nodded and ran to the door. Laying the spear against it, she quickly unlocked it and put the screwdriver in her pocket. Pulling on the door, she got it opened just as the others reached her.

"YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE LAST OF ME, DOCTOR!" they heard the alternate Doctor scream.

"Order more of your men to attack him now!" the Doctor hissed.

Sssthor looked back at the crowd.

"Kill him!" he yelled pointing to the alternate Doctor.

Several more warriors rose and ran out of the stands towards the alternate Doctor.

"Let's go." The Doctor said to Rose and Martha.

They hurried out of the arena as the alternate Doctor yelled curses at them.


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

The Doctor, Rose, and Martha blinked as they burrowed up through the sand onto the dune. Rose gasped when she felt the hot sun on her skin.

"Oh, my God, it's hotter 'n hell up here!" she said as everyone removed their oxygen masks. "Why did you decide to come here?"

"I didn't choose it, you guys did."

"Well, then we were definitely under the other Doctor's control because I never would have made this choice of my own free will." Rose said.

The Doctor looked back behind him and sighed when he noticed Sssthor hadn't emerged.

"Get up here, Sssthor," he said reaching back through the sand.

He paused a moment and Rose and Martha watched as his hand moved around in the sand.

"Oh no," he muttered.

Furiously he tried to dig into the sand, but the faster he dug, the faster the sand covered the hole.

"Bollocks!" he said.

"What?" Martha said.

"He's slipped away and gone back." Doctor said getting to his feet. "Come on guys, I have a feeling we're gonna be overwhelmed by warriors in a couple of minutes. Let's haul ass back to the TARDIS!"

He helped his girls up and they clambered up the dune as fast as they could, praying that the warriors would be too busy with the alternate Doctor to follow them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It took about a half hour but they finally reached the safety of the TARDIS. To their relief, no warriors followed them and Rose and Martha let out a sigh when the Doctor opened the door and they went inside the air-conditioned console room.

Rose and Martha walked over to the captain's chair and sank down in it while the Doctor input some coordinates. They breathed another sigh of relief when the rotor began its familiar rotation and they entered the vortex.

"Thank God!" Rose said putting her head on the Doctor's shoulder when he sat down between her and Martha.

"Let's never, never, never go back there ever again!" Martha said.

"Yeah, don't ever, ever put those coordinates in the computer ever again!" she said.

"What, didn't you enjoy yourselves?"

He snickered when Rose and Martha both yelled no.

"Alright, well, I'm heading off to a nice forest planet that's like Belos Minor so we can take a breather. Nice mild climate and no insane snake people to attack us."

"Great! Wake me when we get there. I'll be in my bedroom." Martha said shuffling off.

Rose's eyes widened.

"Bedroom? Oh my God, Puff, I hope he's alright!"

"He should be. I fed him yesterday and he should be all snug and comfy in his cage." The Doctor replied.

Rose ran off to her bedroom. She returned a few minutes later with Puff singing softly on her shoulder. She sat back down beside the Doctor.

"He missed me." She said.

"I see that. He wasn't the only one." The Doctor replied.

Rose leaned in and gave him a kiss.

"I'm so glad we didn't hurt you when we were under the other Doctor's control." She said.

"Nah, I wouldn't have let you hurt me. If you'd tried anything, I would have gone all Jet Li on your asses."

Rose rolled her eyes when he let out a "Hai-yah!" and mimed karate chopping her neck.

He put his arm around her shoulders and she snuggled close to him. They sat quietly for a moment enjoying one another's company.

"Do you think that those Artaxis warriors did away with the other Doctor?" Rose finally asked.

"Oh, I'd say so; I don't see how he could have gotten out of that alive. Not with all of them in one room like that."

"Are you sorry he's dead?" Rose asked.

The Doctor sighed as he thought.

"Not really. I gave the man a chance to reform himself and he decided to take the opportunity I gave him and use it to come back over here and hurt you and Martha. He put chips in your heads and took over your minds and I'll never forgive him for that."

He glanced over at her ear.

"Speaking of, Rose, I want to put you and Martha under and remove that chip. It's disabled, but I'd feel better if it was completely out and away from your brain. After we finish taking a breather, I want to do that. It won't take long and it's completely painless, I promise."

"I would like that." Rose replied. "I hate the thought of it being in my head. I want it out and I'm sure Martha feels the same."

The Doctor nodded.

He laid his head on Rose's shoulder and closed his eyes as they listened to Puff's singing.

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Rose smiled as she and Martha and the Doctor walked through the forest on Delandandaron. After the punishing heat of Aradia, it felt good to feel the cool breeze against her face. The only one who didn't come along was Puff. Reluctantly, Rose put him back in his cage. Her heart ached when his singing stopped, but she didn't want him to get lost especially since it wasn't his home world. She made a promise to herself that she would let him out later on and play with him to make up for his confinement.

She skipped a bit enjoying the shady woods and the enchanting smell of forest flowers. She felt sorry for the Artaxis living on a planet that had none of this. Forced to live underground to survive. Never feeling a cool breeze on their face or tasting cool water on their tongues. If she had to live like that, she figured she would either kill herself or go crazy.

She bent down and plucked a purple flower. Giggling, she stuck the stem behind the Doctor's ear.

"Ah, you look cute like that Doctor." She said as Martha giggled.

"I am not "cute," I am manly." He said sniffing.

"Nah, you're cute. You're as cute as a little tiny button. I think since Doctor isn't your real name, I'll just go ahead and call ya Puff Junior."

She and Martha laughed as the Doctor eyed her.

"First off, Doctor IS my real name and secondly if you start calling me Puff, you will find yourself tied to the front of the TARDIS whenever we go through the vortex."

"Puff." Rose said poking him in the stomach.

"Rose…"

"Puff." she said poking him again.

"Rose Tyler, I'm warning you! Call me Puff again and there'll be hell to pay!"

Rose grinned at Martha.

"Puff!" she yelled and took off running.

"Right, I warned ya!" the Doctor said as Martha bent over laughing.

He chased her through the woods. Catching up to her, he grabbed her and wrestled her to the ground. He tickled her furiously.

"Say it, Rose, my name is the Doctor, not Puff!" he yelled.

"Never!" Rose gasped out.

He tickled her harder.

"Say it!" he said as Martha leaned against a tree and howled with laughter.

"Your…name…is…PUFF!"

The Doctor tickled her even harder and Rose's face turned red.

"SAY IT, ROSE TYLER!"

"Okay…okay…you're…the…Doctor…not…Puff."

She gasped for air as the Doctor stopped tickling her and got up.

"And don't you forget it!" the Doctor said wagging his finger at her.

He raised his eyebrow when she flipped him off.

"EXCUSE ME? DID I JUST SEE YOU MAKE AN OBSCENE GESTURE?" he yelled as he lunged at her, fingers wiggling and hungry for flesh.

Rose squealed and she grabbed herself as she curled up into a ball.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry…I'M SORRY…" she screamed as the Doctor tried to get into her armpits.

Giggling, he leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"Okay, I'll forgive you this time, but you better not let it happen again." He said.

Rose nodded as he got up. When his back was turned, she flipped him off again.

"Doctor, she's flipping you off again!" Martha said pointing at her.

"Damn it, Martha!" Rose said scrambling to her feet as the Doctor spun around and took off after her.

"I guess a little more cootchie-coo is in order, eh, Tyler?" he yelled at her as Martha fell back against the tree laughing. "Then maybe you'll learn to take me seriously!"

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Rose rested herself on a fallen tree trunk. The Doctor had come up with the idea of having a cookout to celebrate their escape from the alternate Doctor and the Artaxis warriors and he and Martha had gone back to the TARDIS to fetch the supplies. Rose was tired from all the running and tickling she had been subjected to and had volunteered to stay behind to keep an eye on the spot they had picked. While she was waiting for them, she relaxed and listened to the birdsong floating down from the treetops.

She looked up when the Doctor emerged from the trees. She frowned when she noticed he was empty handed.

"I thought we were gonna have a cook-out." She said. "Where's the stuff for it?"

"Changed my mind. I wanna treat you and Martha to a nice expensive dinner." He said to her. "I came back here to get you so we can leave."

Rose raised her eyebrow.

"You…wanna buy us an expensive dinner?" she asked.

"Sure, after all that happened with us and all you and Martha did to help make our escape possible, I figure you guys deserve it." He said.

Rose smiled.

"Well, I kinda had my heart set on a cookout. " She said. "But dinner at a restaurant sounds nice too."

"Good, then let's get going then." He said.

Rose nodded and got up. The Doctor let her by and then he reached into his pocket and stuck a piece of paper under a rock beside the fallen tree. Putting his hands in his pockets, he followed Rose into the woods.

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"This way, Rose."

Rose looked back at the Doctor when he grabbed her arm and pointed off to the right. She frowned.

"I thought the TARDIS was this way." She said pointing ahead.

"No, it's just through these trees."

"Oh, it is? Oh, I guess all that running I did earlier confused me." She said.

She punched the Doctor on the arm and he chuckled.

"It's this way, Rose." He said leading her into the trees.

They walked a few feet and Rose smiled when she saw the TARDIS sitting there.

"Oh, okay," she said. "Like I said, I must have gotten confused after being tickled to death by you."

The Doctor smiled and winked at her as he reached into his pocket for the TARDIS key. He opened the door and stepped aside.

"After you, my love." He said.

Rose smiled and stepped inside…and paused when she saw the steel interior.

"Wait a moment, this isn't…"

She spun around.

"Surprise, Rose." the alternate Doctor said.

He grabbed her arm and brought a small spray bottle up. He sprayed a mist in her face and she slumped to the floor unconscious.

"I managed to escape from the Artaxis, Rose," he said gathering her into her arms and heading to the back of the TARDIS. "And thanks to your lover's overconfidence, I tracked his TARDIS to this planet without any trouble. After that, it was just a matter of watching and waiting and leading you away. Now, I know, you're just dying to know all about how I escaped, but right now I have to get you comfortable and get us back into the vortex. See, while I was fighting off those snake warriors, I had an idea for a game. It's called hide and seek. I hide somewhere in time and space and your Doctor and Martha have to find us. I left him a little note, but it's up to him to figure out where we've gone. And if he's as smart as he claims, I'm betting he'll find you in no time. Of course if he is lucky enough to stumble onto our hiding place, I'll be ready and waiting for him, but in the meantime, I have the pleasure of your company while he frantically searches the universe for his one true love."

He took her into the laboratory and strapped her down to one of the lab tables.

"Now I'm not sure whether or not I'll reactivate the chip. I'm thinking it would be much more fun to explore time and space with my companion when her mind is able to function properly. On the other hand, I don't want you causing trouble either. Maybe I'll just reactivate it, but keep it off unless I absolutely need it."

He leaned down to Rose's unconscious face.

"And if I were you, I'd behave yourself because I have a horrible temper and I might get pissed off and do something bad to you. Just letting you have a little friendly warning."

He chuckled as he leaned back up.

"Well, get some sleep. The whole tickling and running thing sounds exhausting. I'll see you after awhile…my Rose." He said.

He pinched her cheek and hummed to himself as he left the room.

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Rose?"

The Doctor and Martha paused when they reached the clearing and didn't see any sign of Rose.

"Rose!" the Doctor yelled as he and Martha set down the supplies. "Rose, you around? Martha and I are back now and we're ready to set up the campfire and---"

"Doctor."

The Doctor looked over at Martha who was reading a piece of paper. She swallowed hard and handed it to him.

"I found this under a rock." She said. "I…think you better take a look at it."

The Doctor took the note and began to read. His hearts stopped in his chest and his throat went dry.

My dimwitted double,

Despite what you and your friends may think, I am very much alive. I managed to escape and track your TARDIS to this planet and now I have your precious jewel in my possession. By the time you read this, I will be back in the vortex with her and we will be going to some random location. Where, I will not say, that is for you and Martha to figure out. But, while you are searching everywhere for your heart's desire, remember that you brought this on yourself by leaving me for dead in that arena. I always get my revenge, Doctor, one way or another and although I did not get to kill you, I have done the next best thing by taking away the one thing you cannot live without. Have fun spending many a sleepless night trying to locate her and remember this as you search…

It is your fault that Rose is gone and it will be your fault if she dies.

Love and kisses,

Your vastly superior twin.

The Doctor's arm dropped to his side and he closed his eyes in anguish. Martha stood by him hesitant about what to do. Tentatively, she touched his arm and he opened his eyes and gave her a sad smile.

"Doctor, we will find her." She said softly.

"Yes, Martha, we will." He said firmly. "And he will be expecting us to find him. Otherwise, why leave the letter? No, this isn't about Rose. He wants me. This is his way to torment me, cause me pain, and ensure that I'll continue to focus my energies on him. He knows how much of a threat I am and he's not gonna stop until I'm dead."

"So, what do we do?" Martha asked. "Where do we start?"

The Doctor thought a moment.

"Cardiff." He finally said.

Martha frowned.

"Cardiff?"

"Yes, I have to make a quick stop in Cardiff because this search is gonna take awhile and I don't wanna stop for anything. Rose is depending on us now and we can't fail her."

He grabbed up his supplies and Martha did the same.

"Come on, Martha, we'll have our celebration after Rose is back safe and sound in the TARDIS with us." He said.

Martha nodded and she followed the Doctor back to the TARDIS.

THE END (To be continued in the next story, The Dark Doctor's Master Plan…)


End file.
